


Hopeless Wanderer

by cymrymira



Series: The Adventures of Kit and Leona and a Few Other Friends! [8]
Category: Original characters - Fandom, World of Warcraft
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-12-14
Updated: 2018-12-14
Packaged: 2019-09-18 00:29:07
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 24
Words: 22,096
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16984701
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cymrymira/pseuds/cymrymira
Summary: As the Legion invasion draws near, Kit's travels continue.





	1. Letter To Cero

Letter To Cero

 

_Daddy,_  
  
Hey! It’s been awhile and I have a sinking suspicion that Orin prolly told everyone I was dead since I fell off the ship and then got kidnapped by Naga and all that.

_Technically, I’m still kidnapped, but Anderia’s pretty nice, and since I’m presumed dead, I figured I’d look for Evie (I already paid half my ransom, but she’s expecting me to be a princess or something, so uh, make it look good when she does bring me back? And don’t kill her or turn her into a golem or anything, she’s actually really nice)._

_The search is… not going so well. Like at all. But I found a couple of neat things at least. Like Mama Farflight’s old pillow collection! And maybe Evie’s and Fever’s baby teeth!_

_Uh, I’ve been having worse and worse nightmares though, which is the main reason I finangled permission to write you, I need to let you know about that because I promised Taranth to tell you and I never did._  
  
Some of the dreams aren’t so bad… I had a weird one where I was a troll and Zobu’s actual sister, and that was really nice, except for it felt really really weird. When I woke up from it though, I did a lot of thinking. Cause everything was totally different, and I didn’t even know any of you guys, and it felt really wrong.  
  
I was happier though. Cause Zobu and I had been best friends since we met… or rather since I kicked that orc in the groin that was bullying us and he grabbed me and ran and then we stole some apples… and that was a long time ago. He’s the first person after Alandrine took everything that was my family, and until you and Uncle Terry, he was my only family.

_Being his real sister felt really, really good. And I was still a kid in it, so no nightmares, because Alandrine never really came after me._  
  
But at some point in the dream, we ran across Mama… or rather her grave, and she had ended up dying a lot earlier, instead of her memories getting erased, she was killed, sacrificed in some way, and Alandrine was even scarier… if that’s possible, and then you and Uncle Terry and Mama Farflight were all wrong and Leona was never hatched and everything was horrible.

_The worst part was, I was a troll, and I didn’t care about any of you cause I never knew you._

_So I guess it was one of the Nightmares too…_

_Daddy, I know I hurt everyone by staying away… and even though I know you or Uncle or Mira found my first letter, cause I wrote it in my blood, I know that’s really not enough._

_But I need help. Not just with Evie, who I know is in some major trouble, but also with these Nightmares and everything else I do wrong. Luce once said that the Nightmares were all your fault, but I think that’s her being mad at you because of what happened when we got seperated in the Big Nightmare, and… I think Taranth was right, something really important is still in there, and that maybe just maybe you somehow might know exactly what's in those missing memories I have._

_I don’t know what to think anymore. I just know that I screwed some things up. Ass prolly left because of me and what happened to make Leona agree to the adoption._  
  
I…just really miss everyone. The only real reason I hadn’t come back yet is as lonely as I’m feeling right now, I know Evie’s a lot worse off and he needs someone to bring him home.  
  
Just, when I get back, help me? The Nightmares are making it hard to think and my chest won’t stop hurting.

_And… thanks for letting me be your daughter._

_Love,  
Kit._


	2. Nightmare

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kit has finally found Evirin... but...  
> And her dreams are getting steadily worse.

**Nightmare**

Sleep was getting harder to come by.  
  
Not that she wanted to in the first place, the Nightmare was closer than ever now that the Legion had invaded, and Kit guessed that Alandrine had set another little trap long ago, one that would have that dreadlord on Judessa’s doorstep if she wasn’t careful.  
  
Memories of the other self came to her and she shuddered.   
  
Was that really over two years ago that Alandrine was defeated once and for all? Over four since she woke up?  
  
Parts of the Nightmare that she had long forgotten and sealed away were now drifting ever closer to the surface of her mind, Lucierin and she had been running from him for most of it.  
  
Time was so  _strange_  there…  
  
They had gotten separated once. She remembered because she was trying to yell at a very young Theravir through one of the many “windows” they had found, but he was fast asleep in his parent’s rose garden, hiding from his lessons and taking a nap.  
  
Kit couldn’t wake him, her voice didn’t even carry past the Nether, and that portal disappeared before she could be taken out of the Nightmare.   
  
She had forgotten about it until just a bit ago.

They had reunited later, she was crying… she couldn’t remember why… and Lucierin was there, helping her up and then they traveled again.  
  
She was quiet when they reunited, and just took her hand as they tried to search for a window they could get through, she stayed by her side while they fought through more of the Legion that was waiting for Alandrine’s sacrifices.  
  
“What did you see?”  
  
“Nothing. You?”  
  
She was _lying_ , she knew it then, and now she wondered at what it was that she actually did see.  
  
Sleep was getting harder to come by, and she was so very, very tired.  
  
Closing her eyes she saw Envion as the shadows and death and insects overtook him, heard him screaming in pain and anger.  
  
Saw his once beautiful eyes, her moon eyes, turn cold and dead as his teeth snapped towards her.  
  
Kit screamed, forcing herself awake, and stared at the corpse that Judessa could not move her from for very long.  
  
The moon eyes were closed. From what Theravir had said, they might open again, but…  
  
“What did you see?”  
  
The question haunted her for some reason. Something was seen, something important.  
  
Envion wouldn’t wake up.  
  
He was dead.  
  
Sleep was getting harder to come by.   
  
Her eyes closed, she woke up screaming a few minutes later. This time it was the insects crawling over her skin, insects that weren’t there when she looked to wipe them off.  
  
They were under her skin, peeling her face off.  
  
She screamed, they were in her mouth.  
  
Kit opened her eyes, stared at the corpse that Judessa could not move her from for very long.  
  
The moon eyes didn’t open.  
  
“What did you see?”  
  
“Nothing, you?”  
  
She was lying. She was  _lying_.  ** _SHE WAS LYING.  
_**  
Envion was dead.  
  
She was lying.  
  
She was dead.  
  
He was lying.  
  
“What did you see?”  
  
Her body laid out on the floor in front of the dragon’s corpse. Her eyes staring dully at the ceiling as she fought sleep, fought the Nightmare coming.  
  
She didn’t have the strength to fight very long.  
  
“What did you see?”  
  
Tears rolled down her cheeks, “ _Daddy_ …” she whispered.


	3. Bath and Rest

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kit is given some calming tea and ordered to take a hot bath.

**Bath and Rest**

Kit traced the tribal tattoo on her chest as she sat in the bath, “Thought you were supposed to be my guardian spirit or something,” she muttered at the fox who silently curled around her body in the design, “Guess I don’t need you right now,” she sighed and slipped further into the water.

Well Zobu had given her that tattoo for when she was in trouble, she wasn’t sure bad dreams counted… no matter how insane they were driving her.

The tea that Niva had given her did help at least, after Judessa kicked her out of that room with Evie, she had made sure to drink some like she promised, and then came into the bath, also liked she promised.

“And after that, bed. A REAL bed. With pillows!” Judessa had yelled, her own eyes dark with circles from her own nightmares.  
  
No one seemed to understand Kit’s like of sleeping on the floor or in a tree.  
  
She was calmer at least, and the waking nightmares had stopped near as soon as she drank the herbal tincture, though she winced as she massaged her feet, fear of insects notwithstanding, those boots hurt! Despite Niva’s promises that they were made in exactly her size and would be soft and supple.  
  
Kit hated shoes… maybe she’d just lose them accidentally.  
  
But then, she was going to the Peak soon, it was better to wear boots than get frostbite. And near everyone got at her last time when she merely wrapped her feet up.  
  
Her eyes closed, the hot bath was working it’s magic, and…  
  
She was in a dark hallway, or she guessed it was a hallway… it really was too dark to see.  
  
Ahead of her there was a small light dancing around and she looked to see the tiny silver fox.  
  
 _“What did you see…?”  
_  
The child’s voice from her nightmares drifted to her and she turned to look behind her, stopping when she felt sharp teeth in her hand.  
  
She and the fox stared at each other then she lifted her hand to gaze at the small indention from the guardian’s teeth.  
  
 __ **“It happened long ago… and it is not yours to know.”  
**  
The fox turned to walk forward, and Kit followed her, blinking when she stepped into a clearing in the middle of the forest.  
  
It was night here, the moon setting a soft glow to the trees and flowers, and Kit covered her mouth when she saw who was sitting in the middle of the clearing, looking rather irritable and confused.  
  
“Evie!” she cried as she ran forward.

* * *

Judessa sighed when she came in to check on Kit and found the child near about to drown in the bathtub, and summoned towels and clean pajamas, along with a servant to carry the girl down to her bedroom.  
  
She needed the sleep… those nightmares she had only had gotten worse with Envion’s death. Judessa had been debating a certain potion that she knew worked on her, but one that might have kept Kit asleep for weeks if she wasn’t careful enough with the dosage.  
  
Many, many miles away, a silver fox flitted into a cave, and was petted by a large troll hand, “Good, joo got her ta get some rest. Only wish that I could do more fer Little Sistah.”


	4. Fighting for the Peak

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kit gets summoned to the Peak of Serenity to defend against the demon attack. Her take on the monk class quests.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is another time I mention the Champion as someone seperate from my character, because in Kit's case and in Leona's case, they just aren't the Heroes, despite the game mechanics (in Mira's case, it was a completely different bit of Nether). 
> 
> But on the other hand, there are some things that were very IC when I did them. LiLi's adventure chain in Valley of the Four Winds for instance.

**Fighting for the Peak**

It was a letter from Teach.

Kit stared at it for a long time, recognizing the calligraphy and the seal long before it registered what the words actually said, and she chewed her bottom lip.

“I’ll be back real soon Mama Farflight!” she promised Judessa, running in and kissing Envion’s snout before leaving the dead dragon and elder woman to saddle up her rylak and make way for the Peak.  
  
They were preparing for an attack, and Teach stood next to the Grandmaster as Kit was given instructions to help Chen with the younglings, and she nodded, getting up to follow those commands when the Invasion began.  
  
“Quickly!” Teach urged her, running the opposite direction with a particularly powerful monk, one thought to be Azeroth’s greatest.  
  
Not that Kit cared, she ran to where Chen was protecting the children, without a word helping him to fight off the demons there, get the students to safety.  
  
How _dare_ they attack the Peak?!?   
  
This was the first place that she had made a family, the first place she had felt safe ever…  
  
And now it was being destroyed.  
  
“We have to stop that portal!”  
  
She wasn’t sure who said it, and saw Teach and the Grandmaster and that Champion fight, and she did what she always did, dove right in without thinking.  
  
After all, she had stopped a portal like it before. Alandrine wasn’t exactly subtle in the alternate timeline.  
  
She woke up days later, to Li Li rubbing her face with a damp cloth.  
  
“Hey! No fair, you used to be little like me,” her old friend pouted, “I heard rumors that you had grown up fast, how come you never told me?”  
  
“Sorry,” Kit winced as she sat up, “You guys were pretty busy with that brewery, and I didn’t want you trying to get into the Nightmare.”  
  
“As if,” Li Li snorted, “I like being a kid… even if Dad won’t let me off the island without a guardian now,” she smirked, “Course… you count. Even if you aren’t the Grand Master Champion that saved everyone at the Peak, you got some high status now.”

“Oh great, Teach will never let me live down doing something like that,” Kit started, then stopped at Li Li’s sudden frown, “What?”

“He and the Grand Master were both killed, you’re uh… you’re wanted by the Grand Masters at the Temple.”  
  
Kit blinked, then slowly got out of bed, “Hey…” she pointed out the window, “I’ve never been here before, I don’t recognize any of that out there, where are we?”  
  
“My home goof. The Wandering Isle.”  
  
Kit blinked, then looked outside and suddenly grinned, “I always wanted to explore it!”

“Don’t see WHY, there’s  _nothing_  here.”  
  
“Yeah, but you grew up here, it’d be like me trying to explore Org…” Kit paused, “Wait, why do they want me at the temple?”  
  
Li Li shrugged.  
  
It took her a bit, she had to make sure someone had given a message to Judessa and Cero (they had), and then she was running up the temple stairs, trying very hard to at least look serious as she approached the group of Grand Masters, noting that the Champion Monk was now in place of the old man that ran the Peak.  
  
 _So he died too… How many more did we lose…?_  
  
“Ah, our once ward, now the Duchess Kaelona Alandrine Laurana Starhunter-Sunsoul,” she winced at the title and use of her full name, hating both, and tried very hard to not sullenly glare at the Pandaren woman that said it, “And Grand Master Zeixing’s only pupil… one that still has his teachings, years after she left our company at the Peak.”  
  
“Your bravery during the battle showed us this,” another monk said, “His place is missing among our ranks, as the Champion replaced Grand Master Hight, we would like you to replace your Teacher, having proven that his lessons are still carried on in your life.”  
  
Kit blinked, then pointed at herself, “Me?”  
  
“You did not have to return, you did not have to fight with us, yet you did.”  
  
“But, you guys are family, of course I had to come back and fight,” Kit argued, “I’m not on Teach’s level, hell, I didn’t even finish everything he gave me…”  
  
“And what better way to learn than to Teach?”   
  
Kit slumped, blinking in disbelief, “I uh… I need to contact Daddy, and Mama Farflight… let them know what’s going on… what exactly do I do?”  
  
“For now, we are regathering our strength. We are looking into powerful artifacts to help in this battle against demons…”

“I’ll go see what I can find!” Kit said quickly, then ran back down the stairs, feeling rather sick.  
  
The feeling didn’t clear up, not even after she and Li Li went on an adventure to Uldum to retrieve some rather neat looking hand blades, and it was barely letting up when she went to see if there was anything she could help with at the War Pavilion.  
  
“Archmage Khadgar has asked help with these points,” the Pandaren was explaining to a motley crew as he pointed at a map, and Kit stared at it with interest.  
  
That interest only grew when he got to Val'sharah.  
  
“You mean it’s connected to that Dream thing the druids do?” she asked, and he nodded, then she chewed the inside of her cheek, then slowly grinned.  
  
Maybe the answers to beating that Nightmare once and for all were there!  
  
It was either look or let that horrid feeling in her gut from the loss of Evie… and now Teach… swallow her up and never let her go.


	5. Moon Priestess

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kit helps the kaldorei in Val'sharah.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> the only time she admits Ysera is dead is in here. But she still believes that if she can get to the moon, Elune has her all healed up and ready to return.
> 
> that uh. New Store Mount btw is giving me bad ideas for the later Nightmares and Daydreams plot I've been working on.

**Moon Priestess**

She stared up at the moon, hugging her knees as she looked up at it.  
  
“You seem troubled still child,” a voice said and she looked to see one of the Kaldorei priestess behind her, “The battle is over.”  
  
“There wasn’t anything else we could do?” Kit said quietly, “I… I don’t think it’s right that she had to die, that everyone…” she closed her mouth, her cheeks burning red.  
  
After all, she was in the Nightmare, but not to the extent or the length of time that many that she had fought against in the last few days were.  
  
Alandrine had borrowed from Xavius’s power, and now it was almost over, just a little more fighting and Kit could sleep again with no worries.  
  
But…  
  
“Elune healed her, and now she watches our dreams from there,” the priestess pointed to a constellation Kit hadn’t noticed before, “Child, we know of your pain, Elune told us as much. You have lost your childhood to the Nightmare, something just as precious as what we…”

“It’s not!” Kit exclaimed, “The lands here, the people that… I can’t even begin to compare to all that! I was being selfish when I came here!”  
  
“And yet, with your help, we are delivered from it. Oh, there are still remnants, the Nightmare is not fully defeated. We have to go into it still, fully go into it and fight the demons still inside. But Ysera is saved from it, as is Malfurion.”  
  
Kit chewed her bottom lip and stood, “We have to fight them? There’s no other way?”  
  
The priestess smiled, “Perhaps Elune will grant us wisdom to see a way to ease the corruption.  _You_  did ease some pain with the mists from the Celestials,” she touched Kit’s shoulder, “Child… if you don’t mind, I’d like to teach you something that all of Elune’s priestess know, a song. A lullaby of sorts really, one that we used to teach our children a long time ago before it became exclusive to the holy sites like this.”

She blinked, “Why teach it to me, I’m not a kaldorei, by all means, you should hate me.”  
  
“And yet, you fought just as hard against the Nightmare here, and not just for your own reasons, you didn’t want it to affect anyone. And because these tears,” she wiped Kit’s cheeks, “They aren’t just for you or your love. You weep for those that  _should_  be your enemy. Because of that, I know that you are one that will  _always_  be blessed by Elune, even if you don’t realize it. She watches everyone after all.”


	6. Dream and Nightmare

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kit's depression has her taking a medicine and falling into a deep sleep. Meanwhile...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I did add a bit at the end, because between this post and the next one, I didn't actually say what had happened between her waking up and the other big thing.

**Dream and Nightmare**

_She was breathing still.  
  
The one watching her from the shadows of this peaceful glade took comfort at that. At night, when the Guardians of this place looked away for a few moments, he came out, bringing more flowers to put on her.  
  
She wouldn’t wake up.   
  
It worried him, the medicine she had taken should have worn off days ago, but she didn’t wake.  
  
He stared at her, frowning at the ghostly fox that rested on her chest.  
  
Perhaps the Guardians here had a hand in this. _  
  
Kit had waken up in a dark forest, and for a long moment, she sat there, ignoring the silver fox that walked up to her and nipped at her hand, attempting to lead her towards the one path the brambles allowed in this clearing.  
  
“What’s the point?”  
  
“I never thought I would hear you say that.”  
She looked up at the loud voice that laughed as it said the words, and blinked in surprise, “… Teach? But you…”  
  
“What, been dreaming of the dead dragon for so long you’re surprised when another dead person shows up?” he tapped her head with his staff, “I thought I had taught you better than this little Starhunter.”  
  
She stood up, rubbing her head as she stared at him, “That’s not my name…”  
  
“It still is, though you deny it. You cannot judge the entire family because of one horrible person, not when it had people like you in it,” he smiled at her, “Now little Starhunter, you have a perilous journey ahead. Will you really let go of everything you are for despair?”  
  
Kit didn’t answer, instead her cheeks burned as she looked down at her feet.  
  
“You helped in Val'sharah and at the Peak, you saved so many lives that were lost until you came… only to throw your own away. Little Starhunter, that is not like you. What is it that you fear?”  
  
Her head whipped up to look at him, but he was no longer there, and the fox nipped at her hand again.  
  
There was a growl ahead of her, and she chewed her bottom lip, “No way to go but forward…” she whispered, and the foxed yipped in agreement as she walked towards the dark and winding path through the forest.  
  
 _The Guardians had returned in their elven forms as they examined her, frowning as they found the bites weeks old, a poison that had spread slowly and quietly, nearly unnoticeable to anyone save the self doubt that had been growing in her, spurred on by her own insecurities, her own doubts.  
  
They asked him what he knew, but he stayed silent, not knowing anything about it. One touched the sleeping fox spirit and nodded, telling the others that it came from a desperate battle. Thankfully none of the insects that had bitten her had managed to borrow beneath her skin, she could be saved.  
  
He had brought her here for a reason, they had some sort of honor, he knew they would help her… after all, she had fought for them.  
  
They had to… he could not have failed her a second time._  
  
Her body was cut and ripped from the thorns, her clothes tattered where they had ripped and snagged on the branches that grew near together.  
  
She kept walking, ignoring the shadows and growls that were on both sides, knowing that the worst was ahead.  
  
This was her own Nightmare, her own battle. Ghosts of her past would not help her here.  
  
And yet…  
  
Kit wasn’t sure how she was supposed to defeat this… these were ghosts of her past plaguing her.  
  
Alandrine stood before her, and Kit covered her ears and squinted her eyes closed, that one was dead, dead a  _long_ time now.  
  
And yet she still frightened her more than nearly anything else.  
  
She ran, causing more cuts and more tears, refusing to look at where she was going, only knowing that she was going  _away._  
  
Skittering noises caused her to open her eyes and she stepped back, paling at the sight of the clearing ahead of her.  
  
The ground and trees were moving, and it took her a second to realize that it  _wasn’t_ …  
  
The swarm of dark insects covering it  _was_.  
  
Cold hands clamped over her shoulder and a voice started next to her ear.

“Did you think you would escape me that easily little pet?”

_“You have such an interesting name!” the monk who was writing records in the Cave reserved for Red Crane disciples exclaimed to Kit._

_She stared at them, munching on her apple, “Whaddya mean?”_  
  
“Starhunter, it begs to tell of an adventurer,” the monk stared at her expectantly, “What is the story of your ancestor little elf?”  
  
The child shrugged, “I dunno. It was just my stupid dad’s last name, so it’s mine. Alandrine never told me it had any meaning except for being real important.” she snorted, “It’s just some rich name some Duke had and passed on to his kids. It’s not mine at all.”  
  
“It’s your family…”  
  
“Some family, I’m only gonna take the name of one that deserves to be called that,” Kit took a large bite of her apple, “And it ain’t Starhunter.”  
  
“But it means Seeker of Light… or of Hope,” the pandaren frowned, “It is not a name drenched in sorrow.”

_“It is easy for someone who’s never had to find that Light or Hope to say such a thing,” both looked as Teach joined them, “Little One, it’s time for your lesson.”_  
  
Kit whirled and lost her footing as she tried to get away from Alandrine, falling into the insects swarming behind her.  
  
Pincers and claws bit into her and she was falling into the darkness.  
  
 _“Sunsoul hrmm?”  
  
“Like it? It’s Cero-Daddy’s name!” Kit grinned at Teach as they sat and ate noodles, “And he didn’t mind me taking it at all!”  
  
“And the Nightmare…?”  
  
She puffed out her cheeks, “I… still have bad dreams. It’s hard to get to sleep, cause every time I end up back there. I think it’s just some crap Alandrine put in my head, but I don’t know how to get it out, and I don’t trust anyone to just take it out.”  
  
“You’d have to burn something like that out,” he sipped some tea and she blinked in confusion, “You traded one powerful name for another. I’m certain that you can do this.”_  
  
 **“BRAT!”  
**  
Kit clamped her mouth around a scream as the darkness surrounded her, still feeling the bites from the insects,  _Evie?!?  
_  
 **“That spell! The one Jude taught you that you’ve been practicing like crazy!”  
**  
 _Lighting a candle… but… I can’t control…  
_  
 **“DO IT BRAT! NOW! OR YOU’LL DIE!”  
**  
 _He was watching as the Guardians murmured amongst themselves, all resigned as if she were dead already._  
  
He did not know how he would report this, there would surely be a punishment…  
  
Wait…  
  
Was it always so warm in this Glade?  
  
“FIRE!” shouted a Guardian, and suddenly there was a great deal of commotion as a bright mix of life and light erupted around her body.  
  
And then all was quiet.  
  
She was sleeping still.  
  
One of the guardians edged closer to her, quietly checked her vitals as his facial expression changed from the resigned one earlier to one of cautioned hope.  
  
“The heartbeat is getting stronger… she should wake up soon.”

* * *

“So Teach, how come I still haven’t woken up if I’m not wallowing in despair anymore?” Kit took a bite of her noodles and looked across her at the Pandaren that was sitting serenely in meditation.  
  
He held up a paw and she chewed her bottom lip before placing down her bowl of noodles and crossing her legs. Taking a deep breath, she closed her eyes and listened.  
  
Huh, before I would have just complained that it was taking too long…  
  
“It is good to know that you have learned some semblance of patience Little Starhunter, but you still need to work on a few things,” Teach said, “Quiet your thoughts. The time of awakening will be soon, until then there is much I need to teach you.”  
  
He was ensuring that the girl was alright, moving her limbs in the exercises the druids had shown him to keep away entropy.   
  
She was sleeping still, but they assured him that the nightmares were over, she was in no danger, that she would wake up soon.  
  
Until then, he’d tend to her, keeping her body healthy and whole.  
  
Though it was getting hard to see her with the piles of flowers he had brought to put on her, thinking she would like them.  
  
“So that’s the reason I couldn’t control it?” Kit scrunched her nose in thought, “But why would something like that make a difference?”  
  
“Well, think Little Starhunter, have you ever seen your Uncle use life magic? Or Lady Judessa use Light?”   
  
“She used to she said, but…” Kit frowned, “No, I guess not.”  
  
“There are different rules for each, but trying to channel your abilities the way that a mage would just won’t work the way you want it to. When you call fire, you call Light.”  
  
She blushed, “Oh… but it still burns…”   
  
“Too much Light does burn and blind. Luckily you normally call upon Chi, it softens the blow for those around you.”  
  
Kit looked around her at the small globes of jade energy that were beginning to surround them, “So is that why Evie and Mama Farflight said my magic was weird? Cause it’s not arcane at all?”  
  
“You don’t have a single bit of affinity for arcane or… any of the schools that normal mages use. And you repel shadow, unlike most Light wielders that naturally attract it, that’s why Alandrine’s Nightmare affected you as it did, as did those bites from the insects.”  
  
She nodded in understanding, then scrunched her nose in thought again, “So, I’m weird?”  
  
He chuckled, “More like a breath of fresh air.”  
  
She grinned, “That’s fine, I don’t need to be like anyone else anyways.”  
  
“You still need to learn patience,” he pointed out, “And control.”  
  
“Welp, a little hard work never hurt!”

* * *

“WHY THE HELL HAVEN’T I WOKEN UP YET?!?”  
  
Kit puffed out her cheeks, yelling did no good, no one was around to listen to it.  
The Nightmare was gone, she was sitting in a rather enchanted glade, the fox glancing up at her from where she had curled up at Kit’s feet.  
  
The monk herself was sitting cross legged, her hands grabbing her feet as she glared forward, “This is soooooo boooooooooring,” she whined, “Teach left a long time ago, and I can’t even seem to contact Evie anymore, and there’s nothing HERE. I can’t even go explore the dark part of the forest that looks REALLY INTERESTING cause everytime I try it just goes further back!”  
  
Teach had explained it all to her before he passed on to the afterlife, she repelled the Nightmare now…  _somehow._..  
  
She uh… kinda droned him out when he got into technicalities of the Light and Life and dreams…  
  
Kit sighed, then fell back on the glade, lifting her finger to summon a little ball of jade energy, “What’s the point of doing something so cool if I can’t show it off huh?”  
  
She sat up suddenly, “What if my body’s still cursed!?!”  
  
The thought hit her like a ton of bricks and she covered her cheeks with her hands, beaming as she let it run around rampant, “Oh wow, it’s just like that faerie tale that Uncle read me once! I need to get kissed…”  
  
Her face fell, “Oh… right. How the hell is Moon Eyes gonna kiss me if he’s,” she sighed and flopped back down, “Well. SOMEONE’S GOTTA. Maybe Uncle or Daddy will give me a nice peck on the forehead.”

She smiled sadly, “That wouldn’t be so bad actually. I miss getting those. Maybe they can all come and get me and I’ll get a few hugs in and get a shoulder ride too.”  
  
Kit sat up, “That’s a great plan!” she blinked and then sighed, “Now if they knew where I waaaaaas, it’d actually work!”  
  
 _Outside of her mind, in the glade where she was sleeping, someone was coming towards her, gently pressing their lips to her forehead before shaking the too-still body._  
  
 _...it actually took a lot more._  
  
 _But eventually... Kit did wake up._  
  
"Brat."


	7. Report

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kit returns to the Wandering Isle to take care of some business before taking a leave of absence.

**Report**

“It is good to see you back Master Starhunter-Sunsoul,” Kit only gave the slightest of grimaces as Iron Body Ponshu bowed to her, “You say you have a message?”  
  
She returned the bow and nodded, “Teach gave it to me…” she scrunched her nose in thought, “It’s uh… kinda hard to explain how…”  
  
“There is no need. So he met you on the way to plant his staff and asked you to finish what he could not?” she nodded, “The way there is blocked by our guardians, but I will send word that you are to pass,” he looked at her, “There is more.”  
  
She smiled, “I’ve got to go away again, but I promise that it’ll just be for a bit.”  
  
The monk laughed and patted her shoulder, “Do not apologize! You have the same spirit as our ancestor that first left Pandaria with Shen-zin Su! I am not surprised at all… besides,” he smiled at her, “You have things left undone. The rest of the Order will be fine until you can return, the demons have been fought off for a time, and there is work to be done in the Isles… many or our disciples are there in fact.”  
  
“No worries, I’ll be back soon, I really do like it here,” she grinned, “I actually asked Li Li’s dad about some real estate a while back. But! I gotta go help out a friend and cheer him up.”  
  
He smiled, “You will always have a home in our Order, Zeixing has made very sure of that when he first took you in. He always wandered as well, we rarely saw him even before the Mists parted. The way to the Wood of Staves is over the bridge at the top of the temple. After that…”  
  
Kit grinned and bowed, “After that I gotta get some supplies, and break it to Li Li that she can’t come with this time. But I’ll make it up to her.”  
  
He bowed and she ran off, waving at him.  
  
It was a shame, she really did love the Wandering Isle.  
  
Maybe after she cheered up Evie they could stay here a while.  
  
Mama Farflight was really over-worried, she would make sure he was alright, all he needed was a change of pace. Maybe one of her adventures wasn’t exactly the ticket, but she wouldn’t give up.  
  
She hugged Teach’s staff, “Promise. Now that I’m awake, it’ll be a long time before we meet again. And it’s gonna be the best life ever!”


	8. Static

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kit stays in one place as she tries to cheer up the now Undead Evirin and make him a new set of dragonscales to hide his rotted ones.

**Static**

Even though she was in a basement with very little light, Kit still woke up at her usual time of a few hours before sunrise and winced as she got up from the tiger skin, slowly working out the kinks in her back and shoulders before she sat up and blinked in the darkness.  
  
There was a soft glow from that weird concoction that Judessa had made, and then the ice-blue from the dragon’s eyes, and she blinked at them.  
  
“I guess I have to get used to you not sleeping much now,” she said as she stood and started her morning stretches, “No laps today, I’m not leaving here until you…”  
  
She turned bright red, “ER! BE RIGHT BACK!” she snapped before she ran out the basement and to the closest bathroom.  
  
Three hours later she had finished her exercises and her meditations, which was a feat in itself, considering the amount of room allotted to her, and was sitting cross-legged with a small lantern and a few stacks of papers, “I’ll have to ask Mama Farflight to get the materials, but I bet I can make you a pretty neat set of armor to cover up some of those gaps,” she drew furiously, “I gotta find some indigo dye, and I want to make it soft enough to not cause any chafing…”  
  
She scrunched her nose in thought, “I’ll have to make the individual scales and intersect them, but I’ve done that sort of mail before… nowhere near this scale… but I bet I can make a pretty damn impressive one for you, and it’ll feel like your own skin! NOW THEN!”  
  
She held up the design, “Whatcha think?!?” After I get this done, I can go get you another ring… but uh,“ she rubbed the back of her head, "I guess I better get you an enchanted one that’ll change sizes, and I know nothing about jewelry…”  
  


* * *

  
Kit laid out the scales, inspecting each one as she placed it in one of three piles, actual dragon scales, close enough for government work, and just filler that no one will ever look at.  
  
“Well, with the pound from Serene… and I gotta ask how Luce got that many off without killing her… we should be set,” she grinned taking out her lamb’s wool and sitting down, “Now to get these babies ready.”  
  
That she knew would take another week at most, but that was fine, plenty of time to get ready the dye, and she knew she needed to get a good tavern night in for that.  
  
“I guess I should ask Mama for some silk for the liner,” she said as she started scrubbing the scales with her mixture of lemon juice and water, “And I’ll need indigo dye… lots and lots and lots of indigo dye, so I better have a tavern night soon.”  
  
It took her  _hours_. But she did eventually get all the scales cleaned and ready for dying.  
  
Kit fell back in exhaustion.  
  
At least there weren’t any fumes. And Judessa was nice enough to let her set a room as a workshop.  
  
“Welp, I need to take a break anyways. And I can’t do anything until I get that dye or the liner,” she sat up and leaned her head on her hand, “So what  _else_  can I do to cheer up a grumpy Ass.”  
  
Kit scrunched her nose in thought, then snapped her fingers, “Course! Trick or Treating, he’s not gonna go this year, so I can get the candy for him!”  
  


* * *

Kit piled the last bucket of candy in the basement, puffing her cheeks out as she looked over at the dragon, who seemed to be sleeping and then put a big sign warning Fever away from all the sweets.  
  
She went upstairs to the room where all the scales were waiting, and then set about making the dye for them.  
  
Hours later she clapped her hands, looking at all the scales hanging from clothespins on wires around the stables, and then picked up the three she didn’t have to dye, they were his originally anyways, and opened the door.  
  
“GAH! I hate that smell,” she said lowering her scarf, then grinned, “But it’ll be worth it, I just have to let that set, and meanwhile I can work on tooling these, and that I can do in the basement while I annoy the Ass!”  
  
She happily went back down the stairs, plopping herself in one of the better lit areas of the room, then put on her reading glasses and took out a vial of water and poured it into a small bowl.  
  
“I hope you like the candy,” she said as she picked up the first scale and rolled out her tools, picking out one of her finer edgers, and dipping it into the water, started work, “Remember when we started dating? We’ve known each other for a month or so and you were the worst pompous Ass I had ever met, always so damn serious, and wouldn’t DREAM of taking a day off for anything,” she paused and glanced over at Envion who she could have sworn snorted and turned his head.  
  
Shrugging, she gave him a crooked smile and went back to her work, “SO I spent that whole month trying to get you to goof off, and then I got sick cause of Alandrine’s stupid curse…” the edger bit into her thumb and she gave a small yelp, sticking the digit in her mouth before sighing and inspecting the scale to see if much blood had gotten on it, “Oh good…” she reached for her first aid kit and wrapped a small amount of gauze over it, “Well anyways, I was really sick and it sucked cause it was my first real Hallow’s End, I won’t go over how much trouble Zobu and I found ourselves in every year, so we never did travel with the Matron which SUCKED, cause every one came back crying about the Headless Horseman, and HOW COOL would it have been if I got to see THAT, huh?”

It was slow, but the design was beginning to take to the leather and she smiled, “So while I was whining about missing out, you actually went out and got all the candy for me, and that was one of the nicest things anyone’s ever done for me,” she grinned, “What was it you said, ‘Brats like me need candy’ or something like that? You’ve been my best friend ever since… even if you still are a pompous Ass who wouldn’t know a good time if it bit him on the nose.”  
  
He didn’t answer and she smiled, working the etching in silence after that, and after a few hours, set it aside and put her tools down.  
  
“Our first kiss was that night too,” she said as she walked over to him and kissed his cheek, “Well, I count it anyways, even if it was me just getting my candy back from you.”  
  
She grinned and went back to start on the second scale, “I won’t have this ready until Winter’s Veil, it’s gonna take me forever to get those scales to link just right, but it’s gonna be the best piece I ever made!”  
  


* * *

Kit glanced up at the chirp she heard when she stepped outside to hang laundry, and smiled, holding her arm out to the cloud serpent, “Well, hello little guy, what are you…”  
  
He flew around her arm and dropped a scroll in her hand, “Oh.” She scratched him behind the ears as she read it, “Can’t I have more time? I have to finish the scales, and…”  
  
It chirped sharply at her and she flinched, “Just a few more weeks, then I’ll go back, but I won’t leave him alone… not like this,” she smiled, “He can come with, right? He’s a part of the Order too…  _kinda_  anyways.”  
  
The serpent nipped at her fingers and flew off and Kit breathed a sigh of relief, “I promise, just a few more weeks!” she yelled after him, “I’m almost done with it anyways!”  
  
Briefly she wondered if she could somehow just disappear again.  
  
She was just Teach’s student, but only because he picked a hungry kid off the street. She had no clue why the Order of the Broken Temple wanted her to pick up where he left off.  
  
Kit glanced down at her hand and summoned the little ball of jade and Light and sighed as it floated around her head, “I’m not anything important, I mean, they already started to patch things without me,” she frowned, chewing the inside of her cheek.  
  
A lot of damage had been done, first by the Sha, and then by the Legion.

And no matter how much she told herself that she didn’t amount to much in their order, there was no denying the truth.  
  
She had a responsibility. She was the only one alive that was taught  _that_  particular method. Teach had picked her out because she had the ability to do it in the first place, and he taught her it because she passed his final test.

The fact that she was a hungry kid didn’t matter. She wasn’t the only one he had saved. Teach had a soft spot for cubs.  
  
She had came back to save him, she nearly killed herself trying to save everyone that day.  
  
With his final breath, he made sure the next time there would be no sacrifices.  
  
Scrunching her nose in thought, she went back inside, walking down to the basement. “Mom already did a lot of stuff healing the Dead Scar and stuff, can’t they just use that research? I know the Argents and the Cenarions have it. And the…”  
  
She closed her eyes, flopping down on the stairs, “I have a  _other_ responsibilities damnit! I want to be here, it’s _important_!”  
  
Because here was the one person she failed to save.  
  
By the time they had found him, it was too late.  
  
“It’s just a weird mix of nature and Light,” she said as another jade ball joined the first in bouncing around her, “Lots of people have little spheres like this. Just because it has Light in it doesn’t make it special. I saw some people put some arcane in them, doesn’t make them special… just really  _pretty_.”

Kit puffed out her cheeks, “Moon eyes, if I go away from here, will you come with?” she asked quietly, looking towards the sleeping dragon, “We’ll go somewhere far away, where we don’t have to worry about anything.”  
  
The little balls of life vanished, and she got up, going to sit next to Envion, “Just a few more scales,” she said gently, putting her hand on his neck, “See, I told you it’ll be alright.”  
  
No matter how much she wanted to, she couldn’t run away, and she couldn’t stay here. She was needed, even if the war was still going on, she still had to heal the damage before it got worse. She couldn’t be too late again.  
  
She wasn’t that selfish… no matter how badly she wanted to be.  
  
All she could do was hope that he’d go with her.


	9. New Travels

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Back on the road again...

**New Travels**

Kit munched on an apple as she looked at the sky, squinting her eyes as she searched for any sign of the messenger hawk.  
  
“I sent that request four days ago,” she muttered, “Even Pandarens don’t take that long…”  
  
She hung upside down from the tree branch she was on to grin at the undead dragon sulking at the campfire she had built earlier, “Look as soon as you can shape shift again, we’ll go to an Inn, promise. Even one of those fancy ass ones that have waaaaaaaaaaaay overstuffed pillows and slippery sheets.”  
  
He gave her a look and then buried his head beneath a wing.  
  
“It’s not THAT bad is it?” Kit started then flipped back up, hearing the cry of a hawk and placed both hands over her eyes to strain to see where it was coming from.  
  
The bird cried again, then landed next to Kit, lifting his claw to her.  
  
She gleefully took the small scroll case, and then reached into her pocket for a bit of raw meat she had wrapped up earlier when cleaning the rabbits she had hunted. The hawk took the treat, then took back to the air as she shimmied down the tree.  
  
“Alright, Broken Temple sent word at least,” she said as she opened the case, then unfurled the message, “My request for more time in the field has been… approved!” Kit cheered, bouncing as she read further, “I don’t have to leave you alone now… not that I would, it just would have been kinda sucky to smuggle you to Wanderer’s Isle…Oh!” she looked at Envion and grinned, “We got a job Evie! They want me to retrieve some artifacts that had been lost from the Temple at the Peak and after we get them all, I can go deliver them…and by THEN, I KNOW I’d have figured out SOMETHING to smuggle you in.”  
  
She peered at the list and scrunched her nose in thought, “First one’s easy enough, one of the other pilgrims fell to some murlocs in Suramar, and it seems like he lost his journal there that had some hefty secrets for the Jade Serpent monks. I sneak in to the murloc village at night, grab the book, sneak out.”  
  
Kit blinked and looked at Envion, “Don’t give me that look! Zobu and I snatched apples  _all the time_  growing up in Orgrimmar. And I don’t think murlocs are any smarter than orcs, it’ll work. I’ll be back before breakfast.” 


	10. Kit Sunsoul, Package Delivery Girl

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kit gets back into her odd-job finding services all while helping out the best she can on the Broken Isles... but the usual troubles start to creep up...

**Kit Sunsoul, Package Delivery Girl**

Kit was sitting with her legs dangling over the edge of the cliff, staring at the great city as she absent-mindedly scratched under the chin of a mana wyrm she had acquired the previous day.  
  
She figured the little guy was just really impressed with Evie. Or that it was the one she hugged when she was crying over Margaux. Whichever the reason, he didn’t want to stay with the others at Shal'aran, and Kit named him after the fallen elf.  
  
“We need to help them Moon-eyes,” she said softly, glancing back at the dragon that snorted at her, “It’s a city full of Alandrines and we can’t let that happen any more. I know Mama-mama has the clinic going, but that’s not for us,” she grinned, “I bet we can do a bit of damage to them and keep them off the Dusk Lily, right?”  
  
She frowned, she probably needed to talk to Daddy and Mama Farflight and Uncle and Vel before making any big decisions, for all she knew, there was a  **Really Important Plan**  already.  
  
Blinking, she went to her bags at their small camp, pulling out her map case and her “Bag of Maybe Dangerous Things that Uncle and Mama Farflight Would Have A REALLY Big Fit if They Knew I Touched It.” Grinning, she pulled out the map of Suramar she had recently acquired and started making notes all over it, “Envion, I might be having one of those bad ideas that has everyone yelling at me,” she said carefully, prepared for him to be one of the ones doing the yelling, “But I bet that maybe we can take that big dome down if we hit it in just the right places.”  
  
She pointed, “It’s got to have anchor points, something that big has to originate somewhere, right? So how about I take that disguise and sneak in again, see if I can find out where. Then maybe find out what sort of patrols they have,” she glanced back at him, “I mean, it’s fun going around getting these neat lost things for the Broken Temple, but… we should get back into the world, right?”  
  
Sighing she put the map down, “But first I gotta talk to everyone. For all I know Vel’s got something going on like this already, and Mama Farflight has some real good ideas too. I can’t ruin their plans because I rushed in, right?”  
  
She put the things away and clapped as she stood, “Come on, let’s break camp. We’ve got to go find Mama Farflight first, and…” she rubbed the back of her head, “I uh… have no idea where she could be…”

* * *

Kit tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear and examined the artifact before picking it up and stuffing it in her bag.  
  
There were a lot of nifty things that the demons had hidden around here. And she was one of the few that could get this far into the corruption in Val'sharah.  
  
Envion peeked out from his perch on her shoulder to glance at the little area of green around her, the tangled limbs and red clouds of corruption shying away from Kit.

He snorted and tucked his head under his wing, and she patted him before getting back to her work.  
  
“Oh…” she looked forward, “There’s what used to be a moonwell up above. Maybe…” she chewed the inside of her cheek, “Hey Evie, think that maybe I should try to purify it on the next trip? The kaldorei won’t get mad at me, would they?”  
  
The Elune priestess that had asked her to recover some lost items here didn’t mention trying anything else… and the druids were busy trying to figure out just what exactly the combination of light and life energy she naturally used was.  
  
It didn’t  _last_  though, Kit sighed as she glanced behind her, already the forest had closed behind her, the green outside of her immediate area was long gone.  
  
It was like a big sign was on her really. One of the goblin ones that flashed bright lights and said “GREAT EATS HERE.” It was only a matter of time before…  
  
Her ear twitched and she rolled out of the way of the demon’s axe, bringing her staff up to stop the second blow.  
  
“I got this,” she said as she grabbed the shrunken dragon off her shoulder.

Oh was Jude going to be  _pissed_. Vel too for that matter…  
  
She had what she had came for, Kit grinned as she put a hand behind her back, “Hey wow, demons don’t get to brush their teeth often enough, do they?”  
    
The wrathguard growled at her and she jumped away, throwing one of her spheres of Jade light in his face as she started running towards the edge of the Nightmare.  
  
The shrinking potion on Envion would wear out in… Kit grinned as she hugged him, ignoring the bite as he guessed her plan, “Sorry Ass! Promise I’ll have better ideas next time!”  
  
“If I don’t kill you first Brat,” he growled as he began to get bigger, and she grabbed onto his neck as he flew away, “Don’t stick your tongue out at the demons.”  
  
“They started it!” she turned back to face forward, “Uh-oh…” white lightning crackled at her fingertips and she laid down against the dragon’s neck as he flew through the sky shriekers.  
  
Luckily the bat-demons shied away from them… Envion’s full sized drake form was pretty damn intimidating… and they landed far enough away from the Temple for her to slip off of him and give him another shrinking potion.  
  
She winced as he bit her when she put him on her shoulder and shook out her fingers, “Look, we’ll go find Mama Farflight and see if she needs anything found next, okay? I just owed these guys a favor,” she sighed, “I was really wondering if I could make it pretty far in there. Guess not huh,” she poked his cheek, earning her a growl, “But I got that thing the Elune priestess asked for, right? So we get paid at least!”  
  
She grinned as she started making her way to the Temple of the Moon, “My package delivery service is officially back in business Evie! Vel can’t get mad at me for the Tavern Night bill now!”  
  


* * *

Kit frowned as she laid on her back staring up at the sky above.

It was quiet, the only noise aside from the owls were the crickets, and the surprisingly quiet snoring of an undead drake.

Her body ached. For some reason half of her scars were itching and the other half were burning, and she sat up, rubbing her shoulder where the horde symbol was branded into her back.

Should she tell Evie?

It may be nothing to worry about. It wasn’t like Alandrine was still alive. The dreadlord didn’t make his deal with  _her._

Kit… No,  _Kaelona Alandrine Starhunter_  was just the price he had set for the bitch.

She hugged her knees. She should tell Evie. She should go wake him up and explain that they had to disappear and go where no one could find them. Now.

_**What the hell an I so afraid of?!?** _

Images of the  _other_  Kit came to her, memories of the other Dalaran, that fight…

…the wrong Cero…

She had wondered if they defeated the dreadlord Alandrine had summoned, and today she got her answer.

He was here. Joining in the assault with the rest of the Legion.

Luckily he hadn’t seen her. Yet.

“Moon eyes, I don’t want to rush you, but we better get hitched soon,” she whispered, looking towards the sleeping drake, “Cause I got a feeling I’m gonna be deep in shit soon.”

Maybe that demon won’t come after her.

It wasn’t like Alandrine was still alive. The deal was off.

Right?


	11. A Quiet Night

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A shared nightmare makes them realize that the bond was never truly severed...

**A Quiet Night**

_She screamed as the iron hit her skin, the uncaring grunts holding her down, “Never forget, you belong to the Horde,” the Kor'kron lieutenant in charge of the orphanage’s funding said, then looked down at her list, “She’s being sold to the Bilgewater Cartel.”  
  
Her eyes were wide, filled to the brim with tears as she watched them lower a second branding iron into the fire pit, and she struggled to get away, just run and not stop until…  
  
The grunt knocked her head into the dirt, and the second branding pushed into her skin, and she screamed once more, before they picked her up and dragged her to the wagon holding the ‘merchandise’ from the orphanage.  
  
“Shush liddle sistah,” strong arms picked her up and held her, “Big Brodduh’s got ya.”  
  
The pain subsided the tiniest of bits and she just sobbed into his chest. _  
  
Two people woke up in two different ports, rubbing their left shoulder.  
  
For Kit, the two brandings were still there, ugly scars that she hid even from Evie if she could, her back a crisscross of scars from beatings gained at both the orphanage and from the Cartel.  
  
For Lucierin, they never were… she  _tried_  to take all that pain from her once… it didn’t  _work_. Her back was smooth, the only scar her own was the one Vel had given her on her neck.  
  
The curse of the General’s blood phoenix. She was made with Kit’s blood, Kit bonded with her for a whole month before she hatched, she saw everything that the girl was, everything that made her. And when Alandrine flung Kit into the Nightmare, Lucierin had flown at the woman, they went into it together, they only made it out because they were together.  
  
They were mirror reflections of each other.   
  
Kit was able to forgive them of it all, Lucierin never could.  
  
Kit repelled her Nightmare, Lucierin absorbed it.  
  
And yet… both wandered the world in their own way…

“Hey sis…” Kit whispered, leaning back onto her bed.  
  
Almost half a world away, Lucierin frowned, “What?” **  
**  
“I’m glad you’re back.” **  
**  
Lucierin paused for a long moment, then snorted, “Don’t die on your idiotic adventures.”  
  
“Fall in love sometime, yeah?” **  
**  
“Don’t count on me to come get you when your dragon decides to have Roasted Sunsoul Heir for breakfast.” **  
**  
There was a chuckle, and then the connection from Kit was quiet, the girl able to go back to sleep after a bad dream caused by an even worse memory.  
Lucierin sighed, she had always been like that, able to move on, to forgive and forget.  
  
Even if the crime committed was…  
  
“Damnit,” Lucierin growled, getting out of bed and going to her workman’s bench popping her goggles over her head.  
  
It was going to be another long sleepless night.  
  


* * *

  
Kit was oddly quiet as she sat next to the campfire and watched the sunrise.

She glanced over at the large drake sleeping on her other side and smiled sadly.

They had been aimlessly wandering for months now, and Kit was loving every second of it. The little jobs here and there for both the Temple of Elune and the Order of the Broken Temple were fun.

And judging by the chatter on the communicators, it seemed that the pirates that came to Tavern Night might just be Vel’s new allies! Plus… she was about to see Big Brother Zobu!

But…

Kit wondered if Envion was enjoying his new life as much as she was.

There was more than a little guilt there, she had dragged him out of that basement barely a couple of months after being risen… And he was already grumpy to begin with! Undeath didn’t help with that at all.

A few more scales were missing, she made notes to fix them when he woke up.

She wanted to help. But it seemed like the one thing worth it to her, she wasn’t able to. Not yet at least.

But one day…

Kit nodded and flopped against him. If she could heal… really put this New Nightmare repelling ability she had to good use and figured out how to control it…

Maybe one day she could get her best friend to smile again.

“What are you doing Brat?”

She giggled at the seemingly angry snort and sighed, “Love you Moon-Eyes.”

 


	12. Healer

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kit practices her new-found talent...

**Healer**

Kit climbed down the ladder and glanced over at Envion, “You comfortable?”she asked as she pulled down a few rabbit skin blankets from the shelf and draped them over the undead drake, “You’ve been sleeping a lot lately…”  
  
She frowned and scrunched her nose in thought, “Well. That’s fine,” she kissed his snout, “You take all the time you need, I don’t know why I didn’t check to see if my bag was big enough,”she tapped her chin, “Though… we’ll need another shrinking potion to get you out…”  
  
The monk grinned and sat down across from him, “I missed Ilyea, but I’ll be going back to Erudition tomorrow with the paint.” **  
**  
He snorted and she puffed out her cheeks, “It is _so_  a good idea! Ass!”  
  
An eye roll answered  _that_ , and she stuck out her tongue.  
  
An hour later, she climbed back out of her bag, a druid grabbing her hand as she came out, and then once on the stones of the Temple of the Moon, she was handed a pair of pruning shears and a bag of seeds.  
  
“Elune blessed, they should grow,” the Priestess whispered, “Please…”  
  
“No problem!”Kit grinned, picking up her bag and slinging it across her shoulder, “Hey, I can go in there, so there’s no reason  _not_  to!”  
  
She ignored the baffled looks the kaldorei gave her, it was the same every day, and she didn’t really care to correct them on thinking that she should be something else.  
  
Instead she, armed with her polearm and the pruning shears, walked into the Nightmare infested forest, cheerfully whistling as the twisted darkness seemed to edge away from her, going towards the planting spots to care for the new baby tress that weren’t corrupted, to make sure they had a fighting chance.  
  
She had no clue why the Nightmare that had plagued her for so long now ran from her, but… she figured that since she could do something to heal everything, she would.  
  
It was sort of weird  _not_  having to fight… but… she liked this _better_. It was what Raine was trying in the Dead Scar, sort of, she had brought her mother’s research to the Temple of the Moon, they added to it.  
  
But not many could make it into the deepest parts of Val’sharah to put the ideas into practice.  
  
She could help. Her strange mixture of Nature and Light could heal where not much else  _could_.  
  
And so, she offered her services. No reason not to.  
  
Now if she could just figure out how to help Evie.

* * *

“Evie! Evie you should have seen it!” Kit grinned as she held out her hands to the sleeping dragon, “It worked! My mists WORKED, and I pulled out the bad from him and just made it into a ball…”she chewed the inside of her cheek,“Prolly should have asked Ilyea to put it someplace other than a cookie jar, but…”  **  
**  
They were outside Erudition now, camping in Silverpine, she managed to get him a little shrinking pot, just enough to carry him out of her bag and set him down and she poked the campfire, smiling to herself.  
  
“I… can help so many people… I didn’t even really think of it before like that,”she looked up at him and leaned her head and her hand, “I wanted to, but I didn’t think…” she grinned, “And Mama Farflight’s proud of me… wait until I tell regular Mama and Daddy!” **  
**  
It was strange to her, helping the druids and Elune priestess regrow Val'sharah aside, she had only ever fought with her fists and legs… never really had the chance to use her strange healing magic except for once a long time ago… and to purify apples.  
  
The Nightmare she may have _finally_ broken away from…  
  
“I could have saved you back then if…” she smiled sadly, “I could have found you so much earlier.” **  
**  
That was a downward spiral waiting to happen, and she papped her cheeks, “No use thinking on it too much,” she stood up, kissing his snout, “I was still bad off back then with the dreams myself, I don’t think I coulda gotten out of there if you were still in that…” **  
**  
She went to lay down next to him, “Still… that’s a pretty damn big ‘what-if’ Moon-Eyes.” **  
**  
A wing covered her up and she giggled, curling into him to fall asleep, “Gonna marry you one day…” **  
**  
“Go to sleep Brat. Can’t heal anyone if you pass out on them.” __ **  
**  
She grinned at the whisper, sticking out her tongue, “Sure I can Ass, just watch me.”


	13. Memorial

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kit visits the Blade's Edge to pay her respects to Grandfather and Anlen.

**Memorial**

She didn’t sing in the dawn with Raine, though she was up long before it, doing her exercises and her katas in one of the gardens surrounding the clinic.  
It had been a long time since she had visited her mother, not wanting to admit to the pain that was there on both ends.

It was part of why she had attached herself to Judessa, her future “mother-in-law” filled a gap that Kit hadn’t realized was as deep and vast as it was.  
  
It wasn’t Raine’s fault…  
  
She couldn’t have helped Alandrine ripping her memories or even getting killed to protect her.  
  
_**“It’s easy to die for someone. Living for someone, that’s the real trick.”**_

* * *

The mountains in Blade Edge were still as quiet as they were the last time she had come, and Kit frowned, making her way to the clearing where the graves were.  
  
Leona wouldn’t have come… she still couldn’t face this memory without screaming. Kit… could barely face it herself. This was the first time since it happened that she had came.  
  
The monk frowned, looking at the barren graves, and then sat down, leaning her polearm against her, “Heya Grandfather, Anlen,” she said quietly to the stone in the center, “It’s been a long while.”  
  
They had wanted to heal this land. Start again…  
  
Kit frowned, why was starting over and forgiving made so difficult for everyone?  
  
She  _never_  understood it.  
  
Truthfully, she had only come here to ensure that there were no hidden surprises here. That this clearing at least was clear of all and any that would corrupt it. The Pandaren at Erudition had worried her when she claimed that she had hidden some Old God relics in places in the Outland.

She owed Grandfather and Anlen that much… owed those whelplings…  
  
“Leona’s doing good,” she said quietly,“You don’t have to worry about her, she has a pretty large family now. And she doesn’t get into trouble like I do…” **  
**  
Hours passed as Kit talked to the memorial, it was close to sunrise when she finished finally, wiping tears from her eyes as she stood up and grabbed her bag,“I… can’t do much yet, **”** she said quietly, “But…” she formed a little bit of her nature and light in a ball, holding it close and kissing it before kneeling and placing it on the stone, “I don’t like that you guys can’t have it be green here. I’ll bring more flowers next time, kay?” she reached in her pocket and took out a few seeds, digging a hole with her hand and placing them there, “Until then, these will do.”

She stood, bowing at them, “Keep watch over Leona,”she said, then turned to go.

Behind her the pale jade sphere of Light had danced down to where she had planted the flowers, by the following morning, the entire clearing would be full of grass and pale blue buds.  
  
From there she had gone to Suramar, knocking at the clinic’s door.  
  
If Raine was surprised to see her, the Priestess didn’t show it, instead embracing her and leading her inside.

“I want to learn more about healing Mama,” Kit said quietly, “I can now… but I don’t know anything about herbs or medicines are anything like that.” **  
**  
She received a gentle smile, “Of course. I’ll be happy to share my knowledge, small as it is.” **  
**  
It wasn’t as difficult as Kit expected… Raine had written her recipes down and had made a guide, so she was mostly studying those as she tended to the gardens and helped with many of the patients.  
  
The monk watched her mother in those few days she spent there, with Taladren, with the sleeping woman that was apparently her grandmother, with Lore when the warrior had come in.  
  
She vaguely listened to the communicators, frowning as she heard the trouble brewing down in Sunspire, the commands Lucierin barked over it the next day amidst the chaos of whatever was happening down there.  
  
Silence after that. Not even an answer when Kit tested the bond between her and the phoenix.  
  
And now the sun was rising, and she could hear Raine’s voice singing in the dawn, a strange ritual that she had yet to see another Light-bearer do.  
  
Kit frowned, there was a war in the Broken Isles, she was a healer… there was so much good that she could do here…  
  
Her place  _wasn’t_ here though. This clinic, her mother, neither needed her.  
  
The reconciliation had finally happened, neither Raine nor Kit felt pain at seeing each other.  
  
She left that afternoon, embracing her mother and ruffling her half-brother’s hair.  
  
“Light be with you, love guide you,”Raine said quietly, taking Kit’s hands, “You can do what I couldn’t.” **  
**  
The red-head blinked, tilting her head in confusion and Raine smiled, kissing her forehead.  
  
****_“Live Kit. Don’t ever doubt yourself and back down, that’s your way of healing.”_


	14. Old Enemies

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kit runs into someone she'd much rather never meet again.

**Old Enemies**

“Alright Evie, stay here, I’m going to clean up camp,”Kit said, looking down behind her as she climbed out of her bag, “And then we’ll get back on the road, we’re gonna meet…”  
  
 _“_ Hello Kaelona.” **  
**  
She had one foot still in the bag, and she jumped, whirling and hitting the intruder on the head with her polearm, then jumped back, wincing as the bag flew from the kick and hit the tree.  
  
 _Maybe Mira’s spell will keep things from getting jumbled around…  
_  
“What are  _you_  doing here?” she demanded, pointing her spear at the nathrezim, “And why the hell can’t I get that stupid mark off.” **  
**  
“Owww,”he rubbed his head, “You infused your staff with that…”he sat up, his form changing to that of an elf, “I’ve been watching you…” **  
**  
“Disgusting.” **  
**  
“And you were _promised_  to me.” **  
**  
“Again, disgusting. And that’s a promise Alandrine made, not me.” **  
**  
“Look! I just know that when a soul is given…”  
  
“No, she played you. And the fact that you’re trying to get me to pay up for her idiot games, line up! And if we’re talking about my soul, I already gave it to Evie!”she snapped, “I’ve got nothing to do with that bitch… who by the way is DEAD!” **  
**  
He blinked at the outburst, then sighed heavily and pouted, “I…” **  
**  
She crossed her arms and he swallowed.  
  
“You’re acting like a spoiled brat,”she sighed, “You can’t get me, I’m engaged already, of my choosing. But I bet I can ask if you can get a job, and do something useful other than stalking me,”she reached for her communicator, “Unless you want to keep working for those jerks in the Legion.” **  
**  
He blinked,“I don’t have a choice there. It’s the…” she whacked him with her polearm again, and he fell back, clutching his head where the jade light surrounding her spear connected with his skin.  
  
“You know I heard of one of you becoming a paladin,” she said, moving her weapon to rest across her shoulders, “Course it could be rumor only, but come on, do you really want to work for a bunch of idiots like that? Look at the damage you did to Val'sharah! And for  _WHAT_  exactly, huh?” **  
**  
He didn’t answer, instead peered at her from behind his hands covering his face and turned away, “What else am I going to do?”  
  
“Like I said, get a job,” she pressed her ear set, "I'm meeting my brother here soon, we've got a mission from Daddy. Why don't you come along and help?"  
  
He smirked for a slight moment, then glanced over at her, "And if I agree, will you listen to my wishes?"  
  
"Not going to marry you or give you my soul, but if you've got something reasonable, then yeah. Maybe."


	15. Go Team Apple Fox!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kit and Zobu are reunited and get to work one Cero's mission... healing Harpies.  
> Meanwhile, something is definitely up with the stalking Dreadlord. Luckily...

**Go Team Apple Fox!**

“Remember that year that Matron had us non-orcs hide in the wagon every time a hero came over to do his yearly duty,” Kit snorted,“That wasn’t even fresh straw, both of us got sick!”  
  
“Still beddah than the year she had us stuck on da roof,”Zobu sighed,“It was freezing!” **  
**  
Kit giggled,“Alright, so Children’s Week sucks,” she winked,“Nothing but stupid lip service, and when it comes time to it…” **  
**  
“We’ll just adopt each ot'er,”he grinned,“Now den Liddle Sistah. About de Harpies.”

“I even gave us a code name for our special mission!”she grinned,“Team Apple Fox…Evie and I’ve been watching them for about a week now,” Kit explained gesturing to the large drake sleeping a few feet away. He opened an eye and glared at them both before snorting out and curling back on himself, “And Felfeather there’s been real good at sneaking in and out.”

The disguised dreadlord waved and blushed, "Uh… they think I’m their boss…”he glanced at Kit, “Felfeather?” **  
**  
“Look, you’re going to be one of my brothers, you have to like whatever name I give you,” she said loudly, and Zobu chuckled,“Daddy gave me this mission,”the troll didn’t think to correct her on that, “So we’re going to make sure it’s the best one Crimson Wings ever did!” **  
**  
“What we know so far?”Zobu asked.  
  
“Well… from my reconnaissance,” she drew in the ground with a stick, “The leader’s here… and she’s pretty bad off with the corruption. And that’s what we think the crazy is.” **  
**  
Another annoyed snort from Evie.  
  
“They don’t attack demons though, so we’re gonna use you Fel, that alright?”  
  
“Can I get a first name at some point?” **  
**  
“After we’re done with the mission!”she grinned,“I can’t just come up with names off the bat! Alright Zobu, the idea is we get him to gather the leader and as many of the other harpies in one place, distract them while you go in and replace their fetishes, I’ll heal any of the animals they have captured.” **  
**  
He nodded,“Wha’ joo wan’ dem to do?” **  
**  
Kit smirked, “That’s the genius part of this… because part two of the plan is the healing itself. You and I are going to be making fetishes that cure the mind,”she tapped her head, “Cleansing ones. I’ll put in my balls of dancing jade light and you do that voodoo thing. Phase two is that we start healing any that don’t get affected by the fetishes the old fashioned ways. Felfeather and Evie will corral them to us.” **  
**  
Zobu grinned, “Dis will be jus’ like old times Liddle Sistah.”  
  
“I’m counting on it Big Brother!” she stood up,“Alright, We’ve got until sunset to get these fetishes made, cause we start tonight with the plan!” she put out her fist,“We’re the best team’s Daddy’s got, he trust us especially with this job!” **  
**  
The troll bumped her fist, tactfully leaving out the part where Cero had asked him to come with her on this to train her newfound healing powers… the harpies were…  
  
Well, it would be nice if they could add their force, but they were pretty expendable. At the worst, another group to be put down with the forces in the Broken Isles. At best… Kit’s plan would actually  _work_.  
  
The General probably had plans in case that happened too.

* * *

There was a flash of fire and smoke, and then Mira stepped out of the flames, dusting herself off as she looked around the camp, Flare appearing behind her, the fiery cat stopping to lick his paw.  
  
“Heya!” Kit said happily, waving, “Didja come to see how we were doing?” **  
**  
Mira smiled, bowing her head, “Partially Young Mistress,”she glanced over at Zobu, who avoided her gaze, blushing deeply as he turned his attention to the fetishes he was working on, “Mostly I came to ask for another vial of blood.” **  
**  
“Oh, is it that time already?” Kit grinned, sitting down and rolling up a sleeve, “How’s the research coming anyways? Find a cure yet?” **  
**  
“Er… this one is to create another bloodstone,” the blood mage smiled sadly, “I wanted to demonstrate how to make one, and no offense Young Mistress, you are probably the easiest lost of all the members of the Wings.” **  
**  
Flare sniffed around the camp, and Mira’s ear twitched as he reported something strange, “Made any new friends lately?” she asked as she placed an ice crystal on the inside of Kit’s elbow.

“That idiot dreadlord Alandrine promised me to,”the monk looked away before Mira stuck her with the needle,“He’s harmless, I think I converted him!” **  
**  
 ** _ **“Well… fuck. This is going to end well.”**  
_**  
“Really?” Mira ignored Flare’s comments, “I never knew that they could be so simple, it must be a defective one,” she glanced over at Zobu who peered over his shoulder at her.  
  
 _Good. Kit’s probably the only one that’s naive. This is dangerous territory… and if she is still marked…_

“I be checking dat tattoo after dis,” Zobu said and Kit grinned, “Dat kitty be in'eresding.” **  
**  
 _Oh thank all that is lustful and sweet.  
_  
“Flare? He’s been cooped up a bit in my laboratory lately, would you like him to keep you company Young Mistress?”  
  
 ** _“Mira… what did I ever do to you…?”  
_**  
 _Oh, just tried to kill my sisters and me a long time ago Illidari. Remember why we put you in the cat? What best way to tell if there’s a possible threat here?  
  
_ ** _“So keep an eye on your old Master’s treasure and then destroy a demon. In this form.”_  
**  
The blood mage glanced at him, bending down to pick him up, and slipping something in his collar.  
  
 ** _“You vicious bitch.”_  
**  
Zobu nodded and Kit was oblivious as Mira handed the fiery cat to her.

“I NEVER GOT TO PET FLARE BEFORE!”she said happily, “WAIT UNTIL I TELL EVIE!” **  
**  
 ** _“_** **** _Fiiiiiiiiiineeeeeeee. If he’s a threat, I’ll take care of it. Fuck.”_ __  
  
Mira smiled, putting the vial into her bag, “Well then, I best be back to the laboratories. By the way Young Mistress… Atlas has several airships. When your father thinks your healing training is over, I’ll ask them to fly you to Sunspire. Until then,” she waved a hand and flames appeared around her, “Good luck with the harpies.” **  
**  
The flames closed around her and she stepped back out into her study, sighing heavily as she went to put the vial up, placing it on the table and then frowned, opening the curtains on the rather large bed.  
  
And burst into laughter.  
  
“What?”Varotin asked around the rose in his mouth, “You haven’t even used it yet!” **  
**


	16. Curse and Departure

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The mission continues, until...

**Curse and Departure**

Her arms were crossed with her robes over her chest as Zobu frowned at the fox tattoo he had placed on her a few years back.  
  
“Joo had t'call t’guardian a lot more den I expected,”he muttered, “Gonna have da reinforce the power behind her.” **  
**  
“It wasn’t  _all_ my fault,” Kit muttered, then took a sharp intake of breath as he started to work, “How come it didn’t hurt this much the first time!?” **  
**  
“Guardian needs power, I gotta channel some in,” he said, reinking the lines and curls, “I have t'use my special ink for dis, and dat gonna  _hurt_  Liddle Sistah. Nuthing t'be done ‘bout dat.” **  
**  
She nodded, closing her eyes and taking another breath, not seeing that the tribal fox on her shoulder and chest was being reworked in a glowing jade ink, Zobu’s shadows slowly easing to her light.  
  
Both were so busy with that, that neither one noticed Felfeather reaching over and taking Kit’s bag, or his opening it and smirking as his hand glowed with a purple shadow as he formed a ball of the stuff and blasted it inside.  
  
Flare quietly glared at the disguised demon, and when Felfeather went to do his shift of reconnaissance for the harpy camp, the fiery cat crept over and slipped inside the bag, running down into the rooms Mira had set up for Kit’s storage to see what the damage was.  
  
He paused at a snore, and peered at the sleeping undead drake.  
  
There was a crash behind him, and Flare turned to go into another room, staring at the baskets of apples that had fallen , rolling all over the place and rotting, the purple fel shadows running across every one of them.  
  
_Fuck!  
_  
He yelped as the shadows came near him, ran back to the drake and bit him as hard as he could, causing a roar as Envion awoke, and he looked around wildly, finding the shrinking pots and throwing one to the dragon, not even waiting until he had fully gotten small enough to lift before picking him up in his teeth and running out the bag.  
  
Flare made it, barely, and he dropped Envion down, the dragon now the size of a small lizard, who glared at him in confusion.  
  
**_“Your girlfriend has horrible tastes in friends,”_**  the fiery cat said, at this point not caring if Evie was one that could hear him or not as he licked his paw, looking mournfully at the bag that was now blackened as smoke poured from the inside,  ** _“Luckily Mira’s spell on those things does contain the curse. Unluckily it means that everything she had is gone.”_** _  
_  
Kit glanced around then, and seeing the smoke from her bag and Evie and Flare sitting outside it, frowned, “Ass! I told you! No flaming up in my bag!” **  
**  
The dragon glared at the cat and she sighed,“Flare! Bad kitty! Don’t go in my bag! Some of my treasures are in there…well at least they _were_!” **  
**  
Zobu glanced up at that, "Hush Liddle Sistah, accidents happen.” **  
**  
She sighed, “I know Big Brother, but there was a lot of stuff in there. Everything I owned!” she frowned, “Not to mention the scales I was working on to replace Evie’s bad ones and…” she sniffed, “That tiger skin for him, and the apples and my books and ALL the stuff you and I collected an…” **  
**  
“Peace,” he grinned at her, “Ja just be havin’ t'gather new things now. I’d throw dat old bag away… mighty curses can come from fire.” **  
**  
She wiped at her eyes, “Yeah! I was carrying around too much anyways.”  
  
“Dat’s t'spirit, now hold still, it’d be a while 'til I’m done!” **  
**  
Flare frowned, then looked over at the dragon,“I don’t suppose you want to help me take care of a demon?”  


* * *

_Kerry!  
I’m on my way. Stay together until I get there.  
Kit.  
_  
She consulted one of her maps right away, puffing her cheeks out as she figured out the quickest way to get to Ivar’s patch.  
**  
** “Zobu, I think you better stay out of this one, but stay close. I might need some back up…”she frowned, “Flare and Evie better stay here… I heard a lot of bad stuff is cropping up in Silverpine and I don’t…”  **  
**  
Her face fell,“Zobu I think you need to stay here too then. I don’t want the Forsaken seeing Evie, and I don’t trust Felfeather at all.” **  
**  
He ruffled her hair, “Dat alrigh’ Liddle Sistah. You can do dis on your own.” **  
**  
She smiled, “I’ll be good. And I can stop by and give Vel a full report on that while I’m over in the Eastern Kingdoms.” **  
**  
He nodded at her and she packed what little belongings she had now into her smaller pouches, “Don’ get lost.” Zobu warned her, “Dat Kerrwyn needs joo, and someone else  _might_.” **  
**  
That was the  _real_  test of it now, wasn’t it.  
  
Kit smiled, standing up and kissing the troll on his cheek.  
  
“Big Brother I think I’m grown up more now. People actually depend on me… so I won’t wander. I’ll go straight to Ivar Patch and then straight to Sunspire to speak with Vel.” **  
**  
He grinned at her, then thumbed back in the direction of the sleeping dragon,“I’ll get dis one back to his home.”  
  
Kit’s face fell for a moment, then she took a deep breath, “Yeah… Mama Farflight prolly needs him back at the house, and he’s not waking up…” she kissed Zobu’s cheek again and stepped past him to the clearing Envion was in.  
  
“Hey Ass… I’ve got a job to do. We’re done here with the harpies, but…” she swallowed,“I gotta go to Silverpine first, and then Eversong… and I’ll meet you there, Zobu’s taking you to Mama Farflight’s house… but…” **  
**  
She hugged herself,“I… don’t have my bag anymore, and I can’t think of any way to sneak an undead twilight drake into Sunspire. And I’m pretty sure that doing so will ruin Vel’s deals there, and she won’t forgive me that… but uh, I heard that Uncle Terry’s making a forest, I’m going to meet you  _there_ … If you want to after talking with Mama Farflight.” **  
**  
Stepping forward, she hugged his snout, “Moon-eyes… I can’t heal you. I couldn’t even save you, and I know you’ve got to be sick of me dragging you all over the damn place just cause I can’t leave you alone. So… I’m going to go on ahead. We’ll meet at the fireworks for Midsummer’s yeah? I’ll ask you that question again.” **  
**  
Kit kissed right under his left eye, “I’m going to find the perfect place for us to watch… even better than that boat in Booty Bay. So… make sure you come for me.” **  
**  
_“_ Da boat’s gonna leave without you Sistah!” **  
**  
She glanced at Zobu’s call, then sighed, reluctantly letting go of Envion, “I’ll be mad at you if you don’t make it,” she warned him, then grinned before kissing him a final time, “Love ya Ass.”  
  
Kit ran off, turning one last time to wave before leaving the group.   
  
She didn’t bother wiping the tears away. Not now at least. **  
**


	17. The Dragonfox

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kit visits Leona at her port and finds out what happened to her old ship.

**The Dragonfox**

_“And then a growl sounded, and that was the only warning that they had before a squadron of saurok came out, waving their spears and chasing them back to the cursed temple!”_ **  
**  
The crowd around her gasped and one small girl with her hair strangely braided to resemble a large spider covered her mouth, “What happened next!?!” **  
**  
 _“Caught between a rock and a hard place, but the hard place she knew at least, our hero went into the Temple, and she and Leona set a trap for those…”_ ** _  
_**  
“Kit, _what_  are you telling everyone?” **  
**  
The crowd turned to look as Leona interrupted the story and Kit grinned, waving to her, “Well, I mentioned we traveled together, so they wanted a story about that.” **  
**  
The younger girl sighed wearily, and then suddenly Merric hugged her legs, “Didja weally figh’ lizaw'men and ghos’s and all tha’?” **  
**  
“There were no ghosts in Pandaria,” she assured the girl, then glared at Kit.  
  
“Kicked the shit out of those saurok though, we took out the whole squadron with that trap,” the monk stuck out her tongue, “Come on Leona, it’s a great story!”  
  
The crowd dissipated and she sighed, picking up Merric, “Kit… have the words ‘low-profile’  _ever_ meant anything to you?”  
  
She giggled in response to that, flipping back her long braid of autumn-gold hair, “I suppose, but what’s the point in having an adventure if you keep it all to yourself. Besides, story-telling’s a good way to make some money, just put out a bowl and tell the truth.”  
  
“You’re the  _only one_  that can make money from the truth like that,” Leona smiled sadly, “Don’t tell the ones with me in them though, I have a reputation to keep.”  
  
“Awww…” Kit puffed out her cheeks, “But those are some of my best ones!”  
  
“It’s a port, tell them how you outsmarted the Draenor navy by leading them into that cove.”  
  
Merric giggled, “Are you two sisthers?”  
  
“No, she’s my cousin, Merry, this is Kit Sunsoul,” the monk did a bow, “Daughter of the General Cero Sunsoul and,” she smirked, then lowered her voice, “Her real name is Kaelona Alandrine Laurana Starhunter Sunsoul and she’s a Grand Duchess… which is  _real_  fancy way of saying…”  
  
“LEONA!” Kit said with wide eyes, “Don’t you DARE finish that sentence!” she looked to Merric, “That’s not my name, no WAY am I that fancy. And I am NOT noble, see…” she burped the alphabet, “Noble people don’t do that!”  
  
Too late, Merric’s eyes were wide, “A… secret… pwin…”  
  
“Nonononono…” Kit waved her hands, “I’m NOT, I’M  _REALLY_  NOT!” she glared at Leona, “Come on…  _why_?”  
  
The red-head put the girl down, who looked at the monk and loudly whispered, “I’ll keep your secret your highness!” before curtsying and scampering off to play with her friends.  
  
“Because she  _will_  keep that quiet and because I felt like it,” Leona stuck out her tongue, “Besides, a burping monk coming into Sunspire to heal isn’t a good enough of a story, you need a bit of mystique behind it.”  
  
Kit regarded the girl, “I guess… And don’t get mad about the storytelling, Luce said she’d tell me where the  _Dragonfox_  was if I paid her…”  
  
Leona frowned, “Er… Kit… I can tell you where it is, for free,” she beckoned the monk to follow her, “The base you built last year got demolished a few months after you fell off the boat, Luce and I brought the remains of it down here a couple of weeks ago,” she stopped and pointed at the dry docks, “You’re still grounded, and the repairs… well… it was part of a hull that we managed to salvage.”  
  
Kit chewed her bottom lip, “Oh…”  
  
“Sorry,” Leona sighed, “It was a nice ship, not too big, and I’ve yet to see anything faster,” she looked up at Kit, blinking as she realized she was almost as tall as the monk now, “Er… the repairs are… well…”  
  
“Pretty damn expensive…” Kit sighed, then grinned, cracking her knuckles, “Welp, I better get to work. Take care of Tavern Night for me? I gotta get my ship back, and if  _I_  pay for it, then Vel can’t say a damn thing.”  
  
“Who are you going to hire as crew?”  
  
Kit puffed out her cheeks, then grinned, “Better yet! It’s a small one! I’ll rebuild it as an air-ship and contact that Darnath guy! The people around me have probably been warned of my crashing into Darkmoon Island and falling off the ship during a storm.”

“And that you get incredibly lost,” Leona added, then smiled, “I bet you can get a job working on one of the other ships for a bit, you know most of what to do. And if not, Sunspire could use a healer and storyteller.”  
  
Kit grinned at her, “Y'know, I did start getting into a  _lot_  more trouble after you got adopted. Gah, sorry for being a horrible influence.”  
  
“Glad you finally grew up.”  
  
“Can you tell Vel that? Maybe Uncle Terry too?”

* * *

“Alright…” Lucierin said as she turned the blueprints for Kit to see, “My best design yet, the Dragonfox Mark II, all we have to do is get the parts, get an alright from Dar for you to be in his skies, and somehow distract Vel and the rest of the directors of Father’s organization from the fact that you’re in a boat again.”  
  
“I’m on a boat  _now_ ,” Kit pointed out, that much was true, the three of them were in Lucierin’s cabin on the  _Serpent’s Kiss_ , then puffed out her cheeks, “Quite frankly I’m getting tired of being told what I can and can’t do.”  
  
“Quite frankly I’m still amazed you’re holding out for that…” Serene started, the words dying as a knife landed next to her in the wall, “Right,” she adjusted her glasses and fell silent.  
  
Kit completely missed her words, Lucierin’s glare,  _and_  the blade toss, instead studying the map as her nose scrunched in thought, “There are a lot of parts that I need… some of these are near impossible to get now.”  
  
The rogue shrugged, “Not that hard. There are still cutters around of that model. It was an older class to begin with, and I never got why you didn’t use the bigger one,” she frowned, “But… I doubt you could have done some of the maneuvers you pulled off in that.”  
  
“The  _Dragonfox_  was just big enough for my crew and her cargo,” Kit grinned, “We were distracting and creating chaos in Draenor remember? I think the biggest thing on the ship was the bed I got for Evie.”  
  
“Too bad it didn’t get…” Serene glared at the rogue as another dagger hit next to the first, and she closed her book, “Right, I have to finish adding a bit more flair to my spells.”  
  
Lucierin watched her leave, then lowered her goggles and went to her desk, “I can build a prototype model for what I designed so you can see how it’ll work.”  
  
Kit chuckled, flashing her a crooked smile, “Guess I better hope for some killer tips at the Strider. Or I can go wandering and healing again.”  
  
“Save that thought, I have to introduce Serene to Dar, might as well get you introduced at the same time, because like I said, the only way you’re flying is with his okay. I bet he has a few jobs for someone that knows their way around a ship,” she frowned as she went through her tools and parts, “But you want it flying, so then it’s going to fly, I’ll make sure of it.”  
  
“I think some people would be upset about you spoiling me.”  
  
“They each have someone they spoil, don’t even get me started on how many liberties Uncle’s given Luna…” the rogue sighed, inspecting a gear and placing it in a small pile, “And besides, Lyon’s getting a ship, paid for by  _my_  trade route and backed by Vel.”  
  
“Yeah, but you gotta admit, a ghost ship is pretty damn cool.”  
  
Lucierin sighed, not arguing that point, “I’ve got a few proposals for Vel and Mavas when I can get them in the same room again… and that’s not one of them. I’ll broach the subject of you and ships again… but meanwhile, I suggest finding employment on one of Atlas’s airships. I’ll give Dar my schematics and he can get the Dragonfox rebuilt…” she winked, “But not for free. You gotta get the parts and you gotta pay for the labor, I can almost guarantee that. Especially since Vel’s not going to like this idea. I doubt any of the directors will, except for maybe Mother.”  
  
Kit shrugged, then grinned, “It’ll be so much  _fun_ though. And besides, I promised to steal a star for someone.”  
  
“You realize that…” she chuckled and sighed, “Nevermind, just make sure to get Envion a  _good_  star, alright?”


	18. Birthday

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kit gets ready to actually celebrate it for once...

**Birthday**

“My birthday’s coming up.”  
  
 _Kit was quiet as she said those words, staring up at the night sky as she laid next to Zobu,_ _“Y’ know, I think that if I never went into that Nightmare, I’d be seventeen this year… I don’t know how old I_ actually _am.”_  
  
 _“D'ya wanna kno’?”_ _he asked quietly._  
  
 _“No,”_ _it was something she had decided a long time ago, those years… decades… however long it was, those needed to stay lost to her,_ _“It took me over four years to get rid of what Alandrine had done…  I don’t want to know what happened in there anymore.”_  
  
 _She fell into it as a child and woke up as an adult._  
  
 _“You know what sucks… that birthday it happened, it was supposed to be my first_  real  _one. I had Uncle and Daddy… Mama had died already, but… neither of us were at the orphanage anymore, and I had a family…”  
_  
 _“In d'pas’ Liddle Sistah,”_ _the troll patted her head,_ _“Ya got dem now.”_  
  
 _Kit grinned, rubbing her eyes and giggling,_ _“Yeah I do…”_ _she looked back at the sky,_   _“Think I’ll be a good healer?”_  
  
 _He didn’t answer, only grabbed her in a hug and pulled her closer._

Kit woke up with a start at the loud crying, not realizing that she had fell asleep at the table, and looked around to see one of the whelplings Mira was taking care of pulling at her with tears welling in his eyes.  
  
“Hey, no worries,” she scooped up the tiny blue, “Whatcha upset over anyways?” she smiled at his insistent chirping, “That all? You can hang out with me for a bit, I’ll get lunch going in just a moment anyways.”  
  
 _“What do you want to do Young Mistress?”  
_  
Mira’s words came from the day before came back and Kit frowned, “Talk to Daddy I guess,” she said quietly, “Leona’s got Tavern Night for me this month, so I guess I can go on a treasure hunt to pay for August’s…”  
  
Her birthday.  
  
Kit chewed the inside of her cheek, it was a day she had dreaded and looked forward to all at the same time. The dread was with the same sort that she held for Children’s Week every year.  
  
 _Zobu and I always got left to ourselves…  
_  
The blue chittered at her again and she grinned, “No, don’t be like that, I bet your brother and sister really do like you. I got a baby brother… well, he’s almost five now…” she frowned and counted for a moment and nodded, “Yup, he turns five in March… and I never get to hang out with him, but doesn’t mean I don’t love him.”  
  
She got an angry chittering and she blinked.  
  
“Because going to see Mama is painful…” she said quietly, “Hey, want a story? It’s about a super awesome General that’s a mage and is like the coolest person ever, that’s my dad okay. And a loooooong time ago… well, it’s only been a little bit long ago… but anyways, he met this really beautiful woman that smells like rain and apple blossoms.”  
  
The blue smiled and chittered happily.  
  
“ _Eww_. No. He didn’t marry Mama. In fact I think that’d be a  _REALLY_  bad idea, besides, she was married at the time.”  
  
She grinned at the confused chirp.  
  
“I’m adopted, duh. It’s the  _best_  way to get a dad _EVER_! Because then you  _KNOW_  he chose you. But Daddy does like Mama, I mean she really is nice and pretty,” Kit sighed, “But… a  _little_  too nice and pretty, and she got into trouble and killed.”  
  
 _Because of me…  
_  
The monk frowned, shaking that part of the story away, “But because she was a Priestess, and apparently so good and nice, that the Light chose her to be a Spirit Healer… and they posted her right at this tree she got to grow in a cursed place.”  
  
Kit petted the whelplings snout as he gave another confused… and rather concerned chirp.  
  
“Well, she left Tal and me to Daddy. More Tal since he was a baby at the time… I was sort of wandering around, I was Leona’s age then… younger actually, and well… I kinda belonged to some goblins in Azshara… and then Teach bought me. See when I was a kid, my grandmother erased Mama’s mind and took me to the orphanage in Orgrimmar. And Mama never came to get me because she forgot I existed. But it’s okay, cause I had big brother Zobu then. He was the first to adopt me.”  
  
The poor blue was just  _lost_  at this point and gave a hesitant chirp.  
  
“Oh yeah, I’m still pissed at Kalec. I ran into Mama… or almost… when I was owned by the goblins there, and I would have gotten her attention if he didn’t call out to her at the  _SAME TIME_  for some _IMPORTANT SECRET MISSION_.”  
  
Kit held her hand up at the almost tears.  
  
“Nah, angry at Kalec, not you, I’ll go kick him in the shins next time I’m in Dalaran… so anyways, where was I… oh! Mama was a Spirit Healer right? And then Daddy got put under a curse of some sort… which I think had to deal with Auntie Lore… I know Vel had something to do with it… so I went to that bitch of a grandmother of mine.”  
  
A gasp at language and Kit stuck out her tongue.  
  
“Promise not to say that around Zaer, he seems like the type to chase me down and wash my mouth out with soap. But I got cursed then. Luce and me both, cause she went into the Nightmare with me… and a few days later Uncle and Mama Farflight… uh, that’s Daddy’s brother, who is also super awesome and cool, and Mama Farflight is Evie and Fever’s mom. She adopted them too… and also pretty cool, though no one is as cool as Daddy… but I call her Mama too because I’m gonna marry Evie one day.”  
  
The whelpling stared at her and gave a slight hesitant chirp.  
  
“Oh right. Uh, Daddy turned out alright. The Spirit Healers took his curse, and I think he posed for some weird paintings for some sort of class… Mama told me once after the fact and I always get confused… There was a trial, and I took Daddy’s place as the accused… got exiled from Silvermoon for a bit, but that’s been long lifted. And then we fought Alandrine again and I lost my memories… er had them replaced with a really Proper Lady’s… gah that was  _so boring_.”  
  
Kit blinked at the confused chittering and flailing, and then grinned.  
  
“Stories don’t HAVE to have a point! Anyways, everyone… and I mean EVERYONE, Daddy and Uncle Terry and Vel and Mama Farflight, and then this guy named Zandrae and his husband, and a bunch of other people, all went to rescue me… sure you don’t want me to tell the parts there…?”  
  
She got an angry glare at that and giggled.  
  
“Well, they went to this weird timeline where the Sin'dorei were in charge of Dalaran right? And Daddy was EVIL there, and Alandrine was…”  
  
 _CHIRP!  
_  
Kit brushed the bit of arcane off her nose from the whelpling’s tantrum.  
  
“Well, we defeated her obviously, and then came back, and Luna had this pilgrimage to the Sunwell right after, so Daddy went with and he did something there…” she frowned, scrunching her nose, “I never did find out what… But Mama’s alive now. He brought her back,” she grinned, “And happy as she and I are about that, and happy as Tal is… it doesn’t stop us from thinking, ‘Oh, what if I could have done something’ or 'Hey, why DIDN’T I ignore that annoying not even an Aspect yet’ or 'I think I’m older than Mama because of that Nightmare thing now and that’s just WEIRD.’ So that’s why going to see my brother is painful sometimes.”  
  
The whelpling stared at her for several seconds, then chirped loudly, pointing into the kitchen.  
  
“Yeah, I guess I better get lunch ready. Feeling better?”  
  
He chittered and Kit rubbed his snout again.  
  
“Man, sorry about the headache, wonder where  _that_  came from.”

* * *

  
Identical letters would arrive in mail for everyone invited, and it was a growing list at the moment, Kit had a large group of people she considered family.  
Included in each letter was a potion of swirling darkness.  
  
 ** _“Heya!_  
  
Sorry you haven’t heard from me lately, I’ve been a bit busy on a treasure hunt, but I wanted to make sure that you knew you were invited to the Tavern Night this month, because it’s a really special one.  
  
I know that most people wait for others to celebrate their birthday, but I don’t like doing that, to me the day itself is pretty sad, I mean a lot of bad things happen on my (And Mama’s, don’t forget to say Happy Birthday to her on the 21rst!) birthday, and I much rather celebrate all of you.  
  
Because you’re my family and I really love you.  
  
So I have something really neat and special planned for you, I went and stole some stars.  
  
…which is sort of impressive considering I can’t fly.  
  
But you’ll see when you get here. It’ll be Friday, which I know is before my birthday, but everyone’s always busy on a Monday.  
  
Lots of Love,  
Your Kit”**

* * *

Kit was whistling as she skipped on the rocky path back to Val'sharah to keep her promise to help with the regrowth. After all, it was her birthday, she had a good party on friday, and she had even gotten  _presents_.  
  
The cloak that she had gotten was really cool, and she couldn’t wait to start writing with her quill, and  _VEL HAD GIVEN HER A TINY APPLE TREE!  
_  
  
She wasn’t watching as she took a tiny little apple and popped it in her mouth, and completely missed that she stepped wrongly until she was falling for half a second.  
  
 ** _“IEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE…”  
_**  
 _Flap.  
_  
Kit blinked.   
  
 _Flap. Flap._  
  
She wasn’t falling.  
  
She glanced around and then grinned at seeing the wings. The wings coming from HER back. The cloak! It was an enchanted one!  
  
THIS WAS THE BEST BIRTHDAY EVER!  
  
Wait until she told EVIE!


	19. Mission from Cero

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kit has a request from her father to undergo a secret mission.

**Mission from Cero**

Chief Petty Officer Laurana Dawnsinger was a medic first and a military woman next, after all, she had grown up in the forests after Arthas’s march through Quel'thalas with her mom and learned all about healing and herbology from Araindwen Dawnsinger.   
  
Alandrine never showed back up, that was a plus.  
  
But that meant that she never would have gone to the Orphanage in Orgrimmar (a huge plus) or met Zobu (…that was a minus), or Teach (another minus), or Theravir (something that made her want to cry thinking about), Envion (which was just depressing), Vel (but she was so INTERESTING), or Cero (…what sort of life would THAT be?).  
  
On the other hand, Araindwen probably wouldn’t have died, and she wouldn’t have fallen into the Nightmare with Luce.  
  
Course she wouldn’t even have met Luce…  
  
Kit puffed out her cheeks and concentrated on working on organizing the medical bay instead of her alias that she still only really had the name for.  
  
Okay! So… see what this Captain Felbane wants us to do and keep an eye on Luce’s crewmember. He’s about our age right, she scrunched her nose in thought, She’s pretty fond of him if I’m reading our bond right.  
  
She stretched and walked outside to the deck to get some air, ignoring the raven that landed on the railing next to where she was leaning as she took an apple out and took a large bite.  
  
Mostly ignoring the raven. Luce was so obvious it wasn’t even funny at times.  
“You worry too much,” she grinned, “I’ll take care of him, alright?”  
  
She wasn’t completely obvious after all. And Daddy had given her an Important Mission.  
  
Luce flew to her shoulder and pecked her cheek before flying back to her ship, and Kit grinned as she watched for the exact moment that the raven’s feathers went from black to purple light.  
  
Kit took another bite of her apple, “This is going to be so much fun!”

* * *

Kit stood at parade rest during the morning’s briefing, ten shades of bored out of her skull already and wanting to go back into medical bay to get to work.  
  
It was going to be a busy day for her, she wasn’t the only one that went ashore to a party last night, the entire crew, despite being told to not celebrate a certain day…  _all_ did.  
  
Master Chief came before physical training for his hangover medicine and growled at her before going to whip the seaman into shape, and she joined the enlisted in physical training as she always did, though today was partly to keep an eye on how damaged some of them were.  
  
They were released to morning duties and she started to step back to bay, not surprised to see a good few of the crew waiting on her, and she rolled up her sleeves and set to work.  
  
Last night had been the most fun she had in a long while (she made a mental note to send Pixel with some of her secret stash of ale for Arkhos and Rain), and she could see the sparkly results of her prank this morning when the sun rose and hit the stone walls.   
  
Well, serves the Syndicate right anyways. Besides, Stormgarde was a bit dreary.  
  
And she even got to play with Jack too! It was almost like regular Tavern Night. And she saw Uncle and Vel!  
  
She grinned as she told V about it, then gave him the letter Luce had sent earlier, along with a little mechanical fox the phoenix-elf had made for her old crewmate.  
  
The monk blinked as she got back to medical bay from morning PT, apparently the crew really enjoyed Pirate’s day, and there were a  _lot_  of hangovers to cure… not to mention some after-effects of brawling.  
  
Kit grinned. She was loving every minute of this secret mission from her father. 


	20. Gravestone

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This year, Leona joins Kit at Grandfather and Anlen's grave.

**Gravestone**

The little moonkins were chattering as Kit sat cross-legged with them and played her ocarina, lowering it every now and then to give pointers on their dance routine.  
  
She’d have to leave them with the Elders, but she was glad she had gotten the shore leave to come to the Festival a few days ago. 

Except…  
  
It was the Anniversary.  
  
She told the Elders what she was doing, asked them if she should leave the hatchlings behind, but they shook their heads at her, asked her to check on the Outlands for them and see if there was any progress… so much of their forward movements had been halted when Garrosh had altered time.  
  
Briefly Kit wondered if there was a chance that the massacre never occurred on another timeline.  
  
“Arch-druid Moonwhisper loved children, though he never had any of his own,” the Moonkin in charge of the hatchlings said quietly, “It would be a learning experience for them as well, finding that we can work together to heal this world.”  
  
_Or that one giant jerk can ruin everything.  
_  
But she didn’t voice that thought, instead rounded them up and headed through the portal, waiting for Leona to catch up as she taught the hatchlings a few songs.  
  
She was surprised the kid wanted to come this year; Leona had never taken what had happened well.  
  
The red-headed girl was quiet as she landed with her stone panther, and Kit gave her a wave and a smile before they loaded up the hatchlings onto Asca and flew to the clearing in Blade’s Edge.  
  
The stone waited there, marking the mass grave amidst a field of wildflowers that Kit did not remember being there earlier that year when she came.  
  
Neither of them said anything as they placed their presents, a leather pouch of seeds from Kit, a onyx and jade tree from Leona, on the stone they had carved the names in three years before.  
  
“Hey, why don’t you talk to him for a bit.”  
  
Leona glanced up at Kit with wide eyes as the elder girl smiled, “Grandfather’s been lonely right? I talk to Teach all the time. It helps.”  
  
“What do I say?”  
  
“Tell him how you’ve been doing,” Kit ruffled her hair, “A lot happened this year right?”  
  
She walked away, taking the hatchlings to dance and glanced over her shoulder to smile at the small girl speaking to the grave.  
  
_Sometimes we can’t help people leaving us, but I think Daddy’s right… she needed real parents. I just wish I realized it sooner than I did._

* * *

Leona rubbed her eyes, vaguely realizing that the sun was rising and she had been sitting at the gravestone and talking all night.  
  
“Here,” she looked up as Kit sat down next to her and handed her an apple, “Had a lot to catch up on, huh?” she chewed the inside of her cheek and glanced up,“It was all over by this time, we had just finished. It took us nearly all night collecting everyone up.”  
  
“Then you got nearly killed because of me.”  
  
“Don’t think of it like that,” Kit grinned, “Besides, Mira saved me, right? I think Luce must have given her some feathers or something, because it nearly got my heart, but I’m still here,” she moved to ruffle Leona’s hair, then paused at the look, “What?”  
  
“It  _did_ get your heart… I heard Mama talking about it when she gave her report to the General.”  
  
The older girl blinked slowly, then frowned, “She’s…  _really_  good then…”  
  
Leona stood and wiped her eyes, “I need to get back, we’re celebrating my adoption today. Papa should be home and everything.”  
  
“Hey, thanks for coming.”  
  
“You’re not returning with me?”  
  
Kit grinned, “Nah, not yet at least. I have to check on some Cenarion things,” she waved, then looked back at the stone, then reached into her pouch for a bottle as she sat down, “See, she’s going to be just fine, even has some real friends this year… and about as many foster uncles as I do.”  
  
_“Young Mistress.”_  
  
_Kit opened her eyes to see Mira looking down at her, the blood mage giving a nod as she checked her vitals, “Your father’s already been by to see you, it looks like you’ll be just fine.”_  
  
_“Leona…” she frowned, looking around, “…is…”_  
  
_Mira gave a sad smile at that, “…she’s upset, but she’s fine.”_  
  
_“Daddy told her then.”_  
  
_“Are you alright with it?”_  
  
_Kit took a deep breath, “…I…I’m more like a big sister to her than anything. And it’s not like I’m good at much of anything except for getting in trouble.”_

_“Lucierin had a different opinion of you, as does your father and myself,” Mira sat down on the bed next to her, “I… however do doubt your father’s faith in myself.”_  
  
_“Please, you took care of Taladren when Mama died, you’ll be a great mom,”Kit grinned, “Hey, where is Luce anyways? I swear I heard her when we came in.”_  
  
_Mira paused, “She took a job, she’ll be back soon.”_  
  
_“Ah man, I hoped to hang out, it’s been a while.”_  
  
_“I’m certain you’ll be hearing from her soon enough Young Mistress. Now, it’s time to go back to sleep, you had rather nasty damage done to yourself.”_  
  
_Kit started to say more when she felt the medicine hit her system and she closed her eyes, dreaming of feathers and flying._


	21. Wanderer

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kit's journey continues...

**Wanderer**

Kit blinked as she found herself waking up in a pile of hay, and she sat up and brushed herself off as she tried to figure out where…  
  
The “bed” she was sitting in jumped and she realized starkly she was in the back of a cart, and a moment of wild panic ensued as she looked around to secure her bonsai tree, and then glanced over her shoulder to see the driver.  
  
“Heya! I think that…” she peered out the wooden slats to find them riding through the Barrens, “Yeah, my stop was back that way some.”  
  
The tauren whistled to the kodo and she jumped out as they stopped, then waved and didn’t think about how she ended up in his wagon of goods as she wandered off towards… wherever she was going today.  
  
Last night had been fun though!  
  
She still wasn’t sure where she stood on whether or not Wild Gods were Loa or vice versa, but it was a fun debate… though she was glad the trolls there didn’t find out about her tattoo.  
  
“You know don’t you?” she said as she pulled her robes to look at the fox on her chest, “I bet Big Brother does too. Maybe Granny. But it’s not like it really matters, right? We’ll find out when we find out.”  
  
Oh, she had to remember to send invitations to her new friends to Tavern Night.  
  
Maybe not Talah, she didn’t think he liked her very much.  
  
Eh, kids probably need to stop coming to Tavern Night anyways, Mira yelled at me the last time Leona hosted.  
  
I probably shouldn’t start up that betting pool…  
  
I can’t wait to hang out with Lis in person though! And maybe that moonkin and that nice lady with him can come too!  
  
I could invite the whole college, spark a debate on which is the best bar food.  
  
She giggled as she walked, making the plans in her head. “It’d be nice to see Uncle Terry and Uncle Lyon again… maybe Daddy will show up, it’s been a long time since I’ve seen them all.”  
  
Hopefully he wouldn’t be mad that she jumped ship to go train in Moonglade to be a druid.  
  
…speaking of which, wasn’t she headed the wrong way?  
  
Kit paused and glanced at the sky, “…Well. Elune and Chi-Ji just want me to go south. I bet there’s loads of people that need healing.”  
  
Whistling, she placed her polearm over her shoulder and hugged her mini bonsai tree as she kept walking towards… wherever it was that she was going.


	22. Children's Week

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> ...forgiveness finally comes for one of the things that hurt her...

**Children's Week**

“I…want to help.”  
  
The words were usually spoken by her with far more self-assuredness, much more bravado, and none of the shyness that she had now.   
  
But then, Kit had never said them to the Matron Battlewail before. At least not during Children’s Week.  
  
She  _hated_  the holiday. When she was a child, she and Zobu were always pushed aside as the orc boys were allowed the field trip with the Heroes, and then no one else would come any time after, no one would listen to her begging to take a letter to her mother.  
  
It was the only bitter sentiment she had, that Children’s Week was nothing more than lip service. That the heroes didn’t actually care, the only time that she allowed negative emotions to run rampant through her, even going so far as to hide the last few years once she had been free of the orphanage.  
  
She hated those feelings more than her hatred of the week.  
  
This year she was going to do something. But not take one kid on a trip around the world, she was going to fix things that had been a problem when she was a kid. Just… after she got her nervousness at facing Matron again. And her fear of the other helpers in the orphanage… which truth be told, only took her ten minutes.  
  
After that she was busy, rebuilding the bits and pieces of the orphanage that had been falling apart and running grocery errands for them, often taking a few of the children left behind by heroes with her so they can see the market place at the very least. She planned on being here long after the week was over, ensuring that all the repairs were done and that at least most of the kids gotten adopted… though thanks to the Siege, there were a great deal more than there were when she had been a child.  
  
Kit travelled daily to the Valley of Spirits, hoping to meet Zobu there, and speaking with a few friends she had made long ago during one of her many runaway attempts.  
  
It was strange for her to be in one place for a long time. Especially  _this_  place.   
  
Still… Kit figured that she may as well be somewhere and useful. Her healing and druid lessons were stalled for the moment, she still had to return to the Admiral’s ship for Daddy’s mission. Orgrimmar was just as good as anyplace else, even with the bad memories.  
  
She bit an apple as she wandered to the Valley of Spirits again, looking for Zobu in their old secret places.  
  
That was the other reason, she wanted to travel with her Big Brother again. Not just because he’d take her in as an apprentice, the thing that stalled her druid lessons for the moment, but because she missed him terribly.  
    
 _He hates this week as much as I do._  
  
 _Daddy should adopt him too. I’ll talk to him about it. And he’s always been able to keep me out of trouble… well, mostly at least.  
_  
She took another bite of her apple and scrunched her nose in thought,  _Zobu wants to be my brother still, right?_  
  
She hoped so. He was the first family she had ever really had.


	23. One Last Cup

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Master Zeixing is guiding her, even now...

**One Last Cup**

_It had started to rain._  
  
 _The child sat down in the dangerous field, letting the rain wash the mud from her face and dark hair, and took a moment to breath, ignoring the stench of the bodies near her and the screams of the naga further down the beach, for now just thinking._  
  
 _Soon she’d have to get back to work. The goblins didn’t like for her to rest, and she didn’t get food if she didn’t bring in her quota of supplies. Somewhere in the back of her mind were the memories of playing, of running in the streets of Orgrimmar with her big brother, their making plans to run away together._  
  
 _She even had a name then. It wasn’t much of one, and it was even less than what she was born with, but it was_ hers _. Here she was just Girl. Sometimes not even that._  
  
 _It was hard to not break. When she was in their loud port, she had places to hide, could sneak off and be herself, but when they caught her and brought her back to this place._  
  
 _The rain saved her every time. It made her stop, even for a second._  
  
 _The collar on her neck shocked her back to the present, and she slowly stood up, looking blankly around her and started to deftly collect the supplies of those that had blindly run into the mine field to escape the naga._  
  
“Strange. What sort of drowned creature are you?”  
  
 _She turned to the voice, blinking at the large Pandaren that stood in the middle of the field, not seeming to care that one wrong move would blow him to large chunks,_ “Can you talk? Do you have a name?”  
  
 _The girl shook her head, chewing her bottom lip as she held out her bag and pointed at the remains of a nearby body._  
  
“A scavenger? What a strange job for such a…”  _The Pandern tapped his chin,_ “Ah. I see. You’re skinny and small enough that the mines simply don’t notice you. And you learned quick enough to not let them get a chance.”  
  
 _She nodded and he wearily sighed,_ “And you cannot go back up the cliff until you have filled up that satchel?” _Another nod and he clapped his hands,_ _“Well then, give it here. Let’s get that filled immediately, I have business with the ones employing you. I have need of a student after all.”_  
  
Kit woke up alone in a small inn, hearing the sound of rain hitting the shingles above her and sat up, stretching as she grinned at the morning, gathering her things and heading downstairs to see what sort of breakfast this place would offer if any.  
  
It was almost time to return to the Wandering Isle. She had been putting it off, her training with the Cenarion Circle had been a bit more intensive than she expected, but… this was something _important_ , and there was a journey she had to take first.  
  
Teach had never talked about himself. She didn’t even know his real name, excepting for that he was a Grandmaster of some sort, and that the Order at the Temple had great respect for him, even going so far as allowing her to enter the Wood of Staves so that he could join the other masters of the arts there.   
  
Yet he was more important to her than Daddy or Zobu, the reason that she loved Pandaria even more than her supposed homeland of Quel'thalas.   
  
Kit stepped out onto the porch of the inn, eating an apple as she looked over the muddy roads, and pulled up her hood and stepped out into the rain as she started to whistle her usual nonsense song. It was a regular journey, though this one had been delayed, even with her normal wanderings, for nearly two years, and it was a promise.  
  
He never told her his name, but she knew where he lived when not at the Peak or wandering. He had taken her there first, and she had visited him every year after she left his care.  
  
Granted, it hadn’t been that many visits…  
  
But there was something there she needed to get before going to the Isle and visiting his grave again. She had made a promise.  
  
 _“There is no need to fear.”_  
  
Kit blinked, hearing the voice of Teach, and paused, feeling on her neck for the shock collar that had been removed so long ago.  
  
She chuckled, “Nah, but there’s plenty of reasons to miss the ones that helped you to not be afraid Teach. That’s why I’m going. Can’t be afraid to say good-bye. Even if it takes me a while to get to that point,” she looked up at the rain,“Can’t help it I guess. But I’d be happier if people started to live for each other than all this death.”  
  
There was no choice on his part. He didn’t even die a hero’s death on the Peak. He was old, and his eyesight was not what it used to be, and Kit didn’t realize it until after the fighting was done that he had even been injured, and after, took him and his staff to the Woods and sat with him, playing her ocarina as he passed on.  
  
A quiet death and a promise to retrieve one last thing from his old cottage, his old tea set.  
  
One last time, when she returned to the Isle, they’d have a quiet cup together.  
  
Kit smiled to herself and set back out on her journey.


	24. Something To Live For

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The War of Thorns is here, and Kit does what's right... even at the cost of her own life.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright, I don’t like the BfA War of the Thorns quests for the most part.  
> None of my characters would be remotely affiliated, so I suppose it’s not that big a deal, but I did feel that I needed to point out the one quest that my OCs would be involved in, and who.   
> So this came about. There’s going to be a part two, after all, when Kit’s involved, there’s always hope.
> 
> And yes, Kit ic mount IS the cloud that monks can use, and yes, I do want you to think Monkey King whenever she uses it.

**Something to Live For**

Kit was talking with another girl, a Gilnean by the name of Ginsera that had nearly the same bright red hair as she did, and just as big an appetite for apple pastries, when the call for the kaldorei and worgen druids came from screeching hawks.  
  
“What’s that about?”   
  
Ginsera paled, “War’s broke out,” she translated for her, “The Warchief is marching for… Darnassus?”   
  
“There’s a lot of people that live in the world tree,” Kit said quietly, “We should go help and make sure they’re alright.”  
  
Her unlikely friend turned to her, blinking in confusion.  
  
“You lost your home already to Sylvanus. And we both know she’s not the taking prisoners type, plus…” Kit frowned, “Ginny, we can’t just sit here and do nothing. But we can both open pathways to here and to the Wandering Isle. What are your orders, I’ll come with you.”  
  
“But you’re sin'dorei.”  
  
“Just means I know what losing my home is like too.”  
  
Ginny took a deep breath, “I’m just a healer… and one of the bumblers, I’m being told to stay behind.”  
  
Kit nodded, and grinned, “So you got nothing better to do, right? Come on,”she whistled and her cloud appeared, and Ginny transformed into a storm crow, both taking off and flying towards Teldrassil.  
  
They arrived just as the war had reached a frenzy in Lor'danel, and Kit followed Ginny to the Temple of the Moon, and… was not at all surprised when the sentinels surrounded her within a second of landing, their arrows and spears pointing at her throat.  
  
“Kit!” Ginny yelped, then shook her head, “No, she’s here to help! We’ve got to get everyone out of here.”  
  
“Nah it’s fine!” she grinned, “You go join the other healers, I’ve gotten out of worse,” she scrunched her nose in thought, “Not sure when exactly, but it’ll come to me,” she held out her hand to the closest sentinel, “Heya, name’s Kit, Kit Sunsoul. Lovely home you have here.”  
  
The hand and her words were ignored, and she sighed, “I helped out in Val'sharah? The one that could get into the Nightmare and back out? I helped with some of the replanting?”  
  
There was a large blast, and the Alliance champions came from the portal to the bottom of the tree, calling the warriors to arms, and Kit was left with just one kaldorei who prodded her in the back with the arrow.  
  
“The mark of Elune is the only thing sparing your life Horde scum,” came the hissed whisper, “How dare you move on our city and commit sacrilege.”  
  
Kit’s hand went to her prayer beads, rubbing the silver moon, and then the golden crane, before taking a deep breath, “Because if you die, then that’s it, there’s nothing left. But if you live, then you can always rebuild, always regrow, always fight another day. I may have been with the Horde once, but that was a long time ago, and not by choice,” her shoulder itched at the spot her branding was, and she ignored it, “Even with Daddy being who he is, and even with the few favors I’ll do for him… I’m a Disciple of Chi-Ji and a Initiate of Elune, I owe my allegiance to them and to life. So I dare to come here. Because the people here need all the help they can get.”  
  
Her words did nothing to convince the sentinel and she was pushed forward with the arrow again, and shrugged as she raised her hands, walking towards the Temple where she would be held prisoner.  
  
“The Temple will decide what to do with you…”   
  
Another explosion, and then everything was in flames, and Kit jumped away, summoning the wings in the cloak that she had been give for her birthday once to fly up and look for survivors.  
  
Ginny was flying around in her storm crow form, and the two briefly made eye contact before Kit concentrated, not knowing her way around the tree hindered her, but not much, she could see the wisps of energy that marked life, fading but still there, and she followed it, moving burning branches and utilizing everything Teach and her Mother had ever taught her to save as many as she could.  
  
The air was growing thicker and the flames hotter, and the other rescue efforts were leaving, marking the tree as lost.  
  
 _Live! You all have to live!  
_  
Another family found in one of the trees, a few more children in one of the hollows, she was getting more and more out, despite the fact that embers had caught to her wings, she threw the burning cloak off, running now, finding another couple and directing them to safety, summoning her cloud to take more to the safety of the Temple and the portals away.   
  
She could barely breath now, all she could feel was heat and ash, and she kept moving, not caring that her skin was blistering, there were still more, still people that needed saving.  
  
 _“Kit get out of there!”  
_  
The desperate voice of Luce entered her mind, the bond the two shared flaring into life as the phoenix channeled every protection she could to keep her blood-sister alive.  
  
 _“You told me it was always important to live for something! What the hell are you doing dying out there?!”  
_  
“Because these people need to live for something too.”  
  
There wasn’t much time left, Lucierin was too far away, even if the phoenix flew to her, she wouldn’t make it.   
  
One more family.  _She could save them._  
  
Summoning another cloud, she kicked open the burning door of a home that nearly got completely missed, finding the inhabitants unconscious but still alive, and loaded them onto the cloud, channeling life energy into them and a veil of protection, then sent it on it’s way to the Temple with the others, managing to stay upright until her lungs and knees gave out.  
  
“Sorry Ysera… guess… I won’t get to the moon just yet…”  
  
Kit collapsed unconscious as the silver crescent on her prayer beads started to glow.


End file.
